262 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. C18G8 



Idridgehay to the right, forward to Blackwall. Hitherto 

 we had had all grass, except a few ploughed fields in 

 HullaDd, but now came the most trying and severe part 

 of the run. The fox took his course straight up Black- 

 wall Hill, itself no mean obstacle, being steep and high, 

 and the ground soft and holding. The distance, nearly 

 thirty miles, had told upon the horses, and at this point, 

 out of a large field, only five were in the hunt — viz. Tom 

 Leedham, the huntsman ; Mr. G. Moore, junr., my nephew ; 

 William FitzHerbert, and myself." Somewhere hereabouts 

 Miss Meynell said to Mr. Bass, who, like her, was 

 surveying the hunt from a distance, " Look at Tom ! 

 Isn't he going well ? " But it was the last flicker of the 

 candle, for the Colonel goes on to say, " Before reaching 

 the top of the hill Tom's horse, his second, fell, and his 

 career was closed. The hounds held on their course 

 through Blackwall Wood, and crossed the xlshbourne 

 and Kirk Ireton road. I got out of the wood close after 

 them, thanks to a road used for dragging out trees, which 

 took me slanting-dicularly up the hill, and enabled me to 

 canter or trot, whilst the other three, after Tom's horse 

 fell, took the hill direct, and, meeting very rough ground, 

 had to walk. I was alone with the hounds for some time. 

 Leaving the village of Kirk Ireton on the right, we ran 

 hard straight up- wind over the large pastures along the 

 ridge of the hill towards Hognaston, the most distant 

 point from Radburne attained during the run. But this 

 was too good to last. Ten minutes at that pace would 

 have placed the fox in safety in the rocks among the 

 hills ; but, being too closely pressed, he swept round to 

 the left, and, turning down-wind, recrossed the Kirk 

 Ireton road. I got off" my horse to scramble down a 

 bank into the road, when I met Mr. C. Eaton, who 

 shouted, ' Well done, Mr. FitzHerbert ! ' Billy Fitz and 

 Mr. G. Moore also joined in here, these three having, 

 as I previously explained, missed the loop beyond the 

 Kirk Ireton road. Again we crossed over the ploughed 

 fields by Hulland to Biggin, where we met Miss Meynell. 



