252 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



With our first fox we had some very severe fencing, and there 

 were two very awkward falls. First, Mr. Fenton, who, although on 

 a very good leaper, was landed on his head, on the headland of a 

 fallow field, in no very enviable manner for a heavy weight like his. 

 The fall, however, was a harmless one ; but I attribute the disaster 

 to this cause : — -the Goddess of Hunting, like other old maids, is 

 easily affronted, and when she knits her brow is of vindictive 

 temper, sometimes requiring even human sacrifice. Mr. Fenton's 

 costume was ill suited to her court : he was attired in white 

 Russian-duck trowsers and Wellington boots, looking very unlike a 

 fox-hunter in the end of November. As his cloth was black, he 

 ought to have remembered the words of the text — " How camest 

 thou hither not having the wedding garment? " 



The other accident was of a more serious nature. The whipper- 

 in's (Dick's) horse fell with him at a fence, and came with all his 

 weight on his rider's ribs and breast. He was conveyed home, 

 and every care taken of him ; but he was found to be seriously 

 injured. 



Sunday the 19th. — As Sir Bellingham and myself passed this 

 day at Newton House, we had an opportunity of seeing some of the 

 operations of the kennel. Contrary to the practice of many 

 gentlemen-huntsmen. Lord Darlington feeds his own hounds, not 

 only on hunting days, but upon all others during the season ; and I 

 was much pleased with the very business-like manner in which he 

 set about it. Previous to quitting the house, he put a pair of 

 calashes over his boots, and when he got to the kennel, the feeder 

 presented him with a clean white (I scarcely know w^hat to call it) 

 frock, something like what the better order of butchers wear, which 

 his Lordship put on over his coat. This reached down to his heels, 

 completely preventing his other clothes being soiled ; and when he 

 pulled off that and his calashes on leaving the kennel, he was fit to 

 walk into a drawing-room. 



His Lordship was minutely particular in feeding the two packs ; 

 and, although the day was far from inviting, he walked out each 

 pack for very near an hour, accompanied (with the exception of 

 Sir B. and myself) only by his feeder. Were I to say I never saw 

 a pack of fox-hounds looking better and brighter in their skins than 



