COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 351 



once been off the line, when I lifted them at Little 

 Oxendon. Here there was something like two lines, 

 the body of the hounds going down the field towards 

 Ramshead ; a few others had a scent on the right- 

 hand side of the hedge. Coventry l joined us some- 

 where here, with a pair of trousers on. I heard Tom, 

 a field behind me, holloa, " Yonder he goes ! " and, 

 at the same time, Colonel Eraser told me one and a 

 half couple of hounds were two fields on to the right. 

 I thought the fox had gone through Hallaton Thorns ; 

 there is a deep bottom and very steep hill here. I 

 lifted the hounds (hoping to catch the leading ones 

 there) to the far side of Hallaton Thorns. When I 

 got half-way up the hill, two gentlemen on foot, who 

 were rabbiting, showed me where the leading hounds 

 were ; they had not come into Hallaton, but were 

 pointing for Fallow Closes, along and outside the 

 fence, in at the gate, and then away along the 

 bottom. I only got thirteen couple away from here, 

 " Merryman," " Streamer," " Relish," " Ransom," 

 "Dragon" and "Singer" generally leading, and all 

 working well. " Frantic," though she had not been 

 out for weeks, was there. We passed Mr. Studd's 

 house, and they ran away from us again down to 

 Slawston covert. They just came out of the cover 

 as we got there. The field was full of sheep, and 

 they got the line at the cross roads. While we were 

 on the road some men on the hill viewed the fox 



1 Mr. Coventry (B) was driving into Harborough. He put up 

 his trap, borrowed a horse from Mr. Angell, and joined in the 

 pursuit. 



