io8 Reminiscences of a 



to my surprise ; but, two fields further on, the master comes 

 down a " bowler." I caught his horse, and he jumped on 

 again wonderfully quickly for a heavy man, only saying 

 "bad luck." Three fields further on, down he comes again 

 over a bit of timber, and rolls ever so far into the next 

 field; I quickly caught his horse again, and we ran to the 

 Thames embankment (not in London, but in Wiltshire), 

 where we had the first slight check; so far we had come 

 seven miles, never touching a covert, or any place of shelter 

 for a fox; it was all over a clean piece of wild, open country; 

 a beautiful country if you were mounted on a good horse, 

 but you would soon be in difficulties on a bad one. Big 

 flying fences there were, and lots of open water and timber. 

 I turned old pie-bald's head to a big drain, and we got over 

 safely; this passed, I rammed into the Thames and got a 

 ford, and crossed over, when I at once saw the fox running 

 round an elbow of the river, and he was headed back some- 

 how over the water again ; I did my best to get hounds 

 turned, and had just got them on to the line again, when a 

 fearful thunderstorm* burst over us, with rain and hail ; we 

 carried on to Down Amney, about three miles north of Crick- 

 lade, after crossing the Severn canal, but scent now failed, 

 and this concluded the day's proceedings. A good nine mile 

 point over a lovely bit of country, and for a long distance, 

 field for field, the same as the Greatwood run reversed. 

 Amongst those who were out were Lord Folkestone, Mr. 

 Wilson, late master of the Vale of White Horse ; Mr. Gos- 

 ling, M.F.H.; and a very large field; I cannot say whether 

 there was much grief, as it took me all my time to look 

 after my own and Sir William's horses. 



• " The sky grew black, the scent grew worse, 

 Enough to make a parson curse I " 



