124 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1885 



But he was too hardly pressed to enter it, and was bowled 

 over in the open five fields farther on, pointing for Shirley 

 Park, after a capital thirty -five minutes, a five-and-a-half- 

 mile point, and seven as hounds ran. 



March 18th, at Brailsford, was a good day ; luckily so, 

 too, for no end of strangers, amongst whom were Count 

 Kinsky, and Messrs. Fletcher, and Arthur Pry or, from 

 Melton, attracted by the excellent reports of sport, had 

 come to see for themselves. What they saw was a cracker 

 from Reeve's Moor, down the meadows to Barton Fields, 

 across Barton Park nearly to Church Broughton, back 

 left-handed, leaving Sutton church just on the right, 

 all over the best of our country, to Barton Hall, thence, 

 by Barton Fields, on towards Trusley, then right-handed 

 ]: early to the Ash, round to the left of Sutton, to ground, 

 after one hour and twenty-five minutes. Charles had 

 sent the first horses home early, and his second, like 

 almost every one else's, was fairly cooked. For the rest 

 of his life he kept the first horses out all day for fear 

 of this happening again. Mr. Fort, whose horses are 

 usually rather fitter than most people's, could not get to 

 the end, and most of the others were in worse plight, 

 some not even getting home that night at all. It must 

 be understood that this run was in the afternoon, as 

 Culland, several small spinnies, Cox's coverts, White's 

 Wood, Brailsford Gorse, Bradley Bottoms, and Ednaston 

 had all been drawn blank, while a fox had been found 

 aud run to ground in Shirley Park before they went to 

 Reeve's Moor. 



In January, but for Charles's care and the Master's 

 prompt measures, the famous Meynell pack might have 

 come to an end. When the puppies came in from walk, 

 the huntsman noticed that one was not well. He was at 

 once put by himself, but soon symptoms of the most 

 dreaded of all diseases showed themselves, and it was 

 decided to destroy the whole entry. This saved the pack, 

 but left a scar. It is impossible to experience such a 

 loss as that, and not to feel it. 



