298 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1870 



was not out. Hounds went home at 1.30. On November 

 1st they went to New Inn, and in the afternoon had quite 

 a good gallop from the Brakenhurst by Parson's Brake, 

 through the Greaves, under the Banks, along the Meadows 

 nearly to Woodford, and Charles stopped them as they 

 were going back into the Banks. Again the Master was 

 not out, nor was his younger sister out at all this season. 

 In fact, both of them were fully occupied in looking after 

 Miss Meynell Ingram, who was in a very weak state of 

 health. Fox preserving was not what it ought to have 

 been with such a Master. Mention is made of three-legged 

 foxes, of lame foxes, of foxes being found dead in a trap 

 in Bannister's Rough, and finally of five dogs and three 

 foxes poisoned near Rodsley I There is rather a curious 

 entry on November 28th : " Found in Lullington Gorse, 

 and ran very prettily down to Catton, twenty-one minutes. 

 Fox went through a drain under the stable, came out 

 below the house, and we killed him." 



On December 15th there was a very good run, fast 

 and straight — in fact, about the best thing they had — from 

 Barton Blount to ground at Brailsford. Under other 

 circumstances it would have earned a longer notice in the 

 diary than, " Found at Mr. Bradshaw's. Had a very good 

 forty minutes to ground at Brailsford," but, as it was, 

 the Master was burdened with other cares. His sister, 

 who had been his tried comrade in the chase since her 

 childhood, was so ill that there was no hope, and on the 

 next day the end came. As if Nature herself was in 

 sympathy with the blow which had fallen on Hoar Cross, 

 a bitter black frost set in that night, and continued five 

 weeks till February 7th. On that day Mr. Meynell 

 Ingram went out with his hounds at Kedleston for the 

 last time, for he met with the accident which he describes 

 as a strained thigh, but which seems to have been a dis- 

 location of the hip. He was riding Elford, a great 

 favourite of his, bred at Elford in the Atherstone country, 

 close to Lullington. The horse was very fresh and much 

 above himself after the long frost, and by some violent 



