40 THE ETON COLLEGE HUNT, 



Referring to a run when C. P. Selby-Bigge had come down 

 for a day's beaghng, Hunt says : 



'' Mr. Bigge showed us that he had lost none of his ancient 

 speed or powers of endurance, and w^e were delighted to see his 

 gigantic form once more among us." 



And after they had killed a hare in the River Thames, he 

 said : 



** It was a very pretty sight to see the hounds dash into the 

 river without the slightest hesitation, four or five abreast, 

 beaded by the old white bitch Bonnybell." 



Here is just one more good hunt : 



" Colnhroolc Cross Roads. We drew the Island blank but 

 found directly we got outside it and ran well along the side of 

 Richings Park, which she threaded and broke again for the 

 Colne, which she crossed and then recrossed, causing very difficult 

 hunting. Then having got some way before us she began a 

 series of tricks enough to puzzle Old Nick himself, but old 

 Limber seemed to understand her dodges, and it was wonderful 

 to see the way he picked out her doubles and then brought the 

 whole pack round him in a second with one of his well-known 

 notes so welcome to hounds as well as huntsman. We went on 

 thus very slowly for some way when luckily our hare got up again 

 and we got on better terms ; but we soon got on to some black 

 fallow and they had to hunt every yard and at last to be lifted 

 on to some grass, where they hit it off again and ran nearly back 

 to the plantation, where she turned round and lay down by the 

 Colne. She got up in view, and they ran well for some little 

 time. But getting on to some black fallow again, they could not 

 even own the line, so Hunt lifted them over and they soon took it 

 up on the other side and ran pretty well over a road and round 

 a pretty big field, where we again viewed her, and this time she 

 went decidedly groggy. She ran some way down a road (bless 

 the roads !) and we had a little difficulty, but we soon got on her 

 in a wheat field, where we viewed her, and she had been joined 

 by another hare. This was a bad job, and Hunt felt rather up 

 a tree. However he halloed to inform the fresh hare of our 

 arrival. Accordingly, w^hen they got to the ditch at the bottom, 

 they separated, and Hunt by a great effort just managed to whip 

 them off the fresh hare, and as our old hare had stopped behind 

 a tree, not being able to get over the ditch, when Hunt got over 

 it he found Mr. Portal at the bottom of the ditch (it was about 

 four feet deep), having got hold of the hare, with the pack 

 worrying and tearing at the hare on top of him. The pack also 

 were most of them in the ditch, and we had quite a job to get 



