LEICESTERSHIRE 3 



shewn on that day. It was ou the 17th of April ; and, as Tom 

 Wingfield (then whipper-in to Mr. S.) observed, " a kind of day more 

 fit for growing cucumbers than for hunting." It was, however, 

 allowed to be the second-best day's sport of the year. 



The place of meeting w^as Slawston Town, in the Market 

 Harborough country ; but there was no fox in the gorse. In our 

 road across the country to try another covert, one jumped out of a 

 hedge-row, and was killed after a burst of sixteen minutes, without 

 a check — best pace— heads up, and sterns down. We killed him 

 near to Shacon Holt covert ; and as soon as the hounds and horses 

 had recovered their wind, we drew the Holt. Without waiting to be 

 found, away went a gallant fox, and, putting his head nearly straight, 

 was also killed at the end of twelve miles (point blank), in fifty- 

 eight minutes, with only one trifling check, about eight minutes 

 before he died. 



The country he went over could only be compared to Newmarket 

 Heath inclosed with strong fences ; but many had reason to wish 

 that neither the fences nor the enclosures had been so large. That, 

 there was much distress among the horses, it is needless to observe, 

 after the description I have given of the day and the pace. Mr. Smith 

 rode the famous Jach-a-lantern in his usual style ; but at one time 

 his light was out : he stopped : but whilst Mr. Smith waited for 

 Tom Wingfield, whom he saw coming up, with the view of a change 

 for the better, the good old horse recovered his wind, and came up 

 to us at the check. Seeing Mr. Lindo on " The Clipper " encou- 

 raging the hounds to a scent at a gateway, he was beginning to 

 rate us, saying that the hounds had been pressed upon, and that 

 we only wanted a pufT for our horses. At this moment the chase 

 was renewed, and Lindo, turning round, aptly remarked that " he 

 had had his puff, or he would not have been there." The fox lived 

 about eight minutes longer ; and Mr. Smith, observing two couples 

 of his young hounds leading, appeared transported with delight. He 

 never turned his horse's head ten yards to the right or to the left 

 for an open gate, or for a gap, but rode by the side of his pack, 

 cheering them to their fox (which he knew must die), in a manner 

 and at a pace that I shall never forget : neither shall I ever forget 

 the fever we were in, from the exertion of such a run on so warm a 



