94 CHASING AND RACING 



and put him at the jump again, and this time the 

 young 'un cleared it ; but the rider saw no more of 

 the historic run. This was the normal happening 

 when J. B. Cowley was schooling a " rookie." We 

 were a mile ahead, and having to push our mounts to 

 keep the pack in view. As they swung round by 

 Elstree reservoir, about fifteen minutes from the start, 

 I was able to take a short cut with Ted (on his slow but 

 sure old charger, Patrick Geogehan) and several others 

 of the boys. I had the luck to nick in with hounds as 

 they crossed the London road, and set their heads, as 

 well I knew, for Scratch Wood, the scene of many 

 happy days with the gun ; for it was situated on the 

 family estate, then in the hands of my half-brother 

 Irwin. My second horseman, George White, was 

 waiting here with Uncle Ben ; but Cinderella was 

 still fresh and eager, so I sent my man on by road to 

 the far side of the sixty-acre wood, where I felt certain 

 our fox, finding the drain holt in which he had hoped 

 to harbour himself well stopped, would again face the 

 open and point his mask for Coombe Wood or Shenley. 

 The pack, without the semblance of a check, drove 

 over the two miles to " Scratch " in what must have 

 been record time. Then right through the covert 

 they went, sending my brother's cherished pheasants 

 bustling and squarking in all directions ! This meant 

 trouble for me; but there was no time to weigh conse- 

 quences. A halloa ! from White told me I was right 

 in my conjecture as to the itinerary of Joshua. There 



