330 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1900 



boding evil for the prospects of scent, with a glaring sun, parched pastures, 

 and dusty fallows, adding their baleful testimony. In Colvile's hollow wood, 

 wliich generally holds a fox, hounds spread and tried, like the foraovis drawers 

 they are, to the encouragement of tlieir huntsman's familiar voice, but all in vain. 

 Nor in the Allestree big wood did they fare any better. Meynell's Gorse held a 

 fox, as indeed it seldom failed to do within the memory of man, but it was the 

 wrong sort, and a heavy vixen found a refuge in the buildings on Mr. Smith's 

 farm at Kirk Langley, where she was left in peace. Brickyard Wood held a fox, 

 which narrowly escaped being chopped, and sought refuge in hot haste in an open 

 earth two fields away with Bender close on his flank. Just as the fox got in, 

 JMiss Chandos-Pole, riding resolutely at a great rotten-banked dyke, got her horse 

 in too, though she saved herself cleverly by slipping over his shoulder before he 

 fell back into the chasm. So two digging operations went on simultaneously not 

 far from each other, and the horse was the first to be got out. Soon after a big 

 dog fox was unearthed and eaten, while the Squire's who-whoop woke the echoes, 

 80 that it was not surprising that Pildock Wood hard by was tenantless when 

 called upon. Parson's Gorse was blank, but our spirits rose as we neared the 

 famous Rough— /o?is et origo of many a glorious gallop. A banging great dog 

 fox stole away at once towards the Hall, and might have escaped scot-free had 

 not the Squire's butler proclaimed his flight with a ringing halloa. An inspiriting 

 blast of the horn, the meaning of which was as unmistakable as it was musical, 

 brought hounds flying out of covert, and a galloping field in their wake. But 

 their fox had got a good start — too good for a quick thing. Still, the ftict brought 

 out the good scenting qualities of the hounds, which is what vi'e all come out for 

 to see. They ran him across the Dalbury road, and for a moment, when they 

 checked by a small plantation, it looked as if their fox had got to ground, but he 

 had not, for, hitting off the line in a swinging cast on their own account, they 

 ran on slowly across the Etwall road down to the brook, which they crossed close 

 to the bridge on the Dalbury road. This our crafty friend ran for a good quarter 

 of a mile, and it was a treat to see old Alfred, Druid, and Bertram go feathering 

 along, picking out a cold scent on its dried-up surface. Sharply they turned out 

 of it to the right, throwing their tongues right tuneful! j', with their admiring 

 comrades scoring to cry. Patiently they hunted a twisting fox over wheat and 

 dusty fallows. Beyond the Lees Green road to the right of Dalbury Hollow they 

 got on the grass, and, mending their pace, pointed for the brook. But a vacillating 

 fox changed his mind, and turned back again. By the Trusley road they checked, 

 and the Squire just tried a short cast to the right of the road before casting to 

 the left towards the brook, while old Cottager feathered along the road, showing 

 where the fox had gone. But the huntsman got a little nearer his fox, and hounds 

 ran better down to the two brooklets and over them, before they checked again. 

 A field sown with soot had bothered them before, and now a highly flavoured 

 muck-heap and well-spread fields added to their difficulties. Holding them on 

 well beyond these fox- favouring savours, their huntsman got them going again, 

 and they got up to their fox in Boden's Thorns, carrying a line right into it. 

 Hence they did not get well away with him, but an awkward slip stile proved 

 no obstacle to their huntsman in getting them on the line. A lady and 

 one or two others followed him — a weight-carrying chestnut walking through like 

 a man. This by the way. To the left of the road to Sutton they ran nicely for 

 a few fields, and might have gone on doing so had not our fox begun to zig-zag 

 again. A difficult brute to hunt was he. So they checked, and checked again 

 just short of the road up to Sutton church. Perhaps he thought of going on to 

 Dussy Bank, but if he did he thought better of it, for a cast towards the Spath 



