FOXHUNTING IN EARNEST. 187 



veils of thorns (I mean the Fawsley doubles) possible routes 

 that seemed to have no existence while the screen was in all 

 its pristine density of leaf. But this may, after all, have been 

 but the passing fancy of a fugitive bold in the presence of a 

 line of gates. We were not obliged to jump anything. And 

 nobody has yet come down from Han well to ride over the 

 Fawsley fences for a lark. A circle to the Hall in question 

 completed the gallop, and a dying scent afterwards flickered 

 out 'twixt Byfield and Griffin's Gorse. 



Wednesday, Nov. 24, brought a multitude truly enormous to 

 hunt with the Pytchley at Misterton. 'Tis difficult to suppose 

 that even Christmas can make the many, more. For whence 

 are they to come ? The settlers are all at their cabins of 

 comfort ; and already the L. and N. W. R. finds its stock of 

 horse-boxes inadequate. (This was I informed, when sentenced 

 to a twenty-mile ride this morning.) The meaning and applica- 

 tion of the term " spring captains " has never been adequately 

 explained to me. Certain am I, at any rate, that it has no- 

 significance whatever in these improved times. For, besides 

 the locals and the Leamingtonians, a large majority of the 

 weekly pilgrims on the iron road are, at this excellent season 

 of the year, men-at-arms, bent on maintaining due efficiency 

 in the most important section of their training, to wit, the 

 exercises of horsemanship and foxmanship. 



If omen, augury, and the rudiments of Rugby-teaching avail 

 anything, surely your representative penman had every reason 

 to anticipate with some certainty a day of happiest event. To 

 me but I may adapt the poet still closer, and if my translation 

 seems inapt, just borrow a Horace, or, if you like, ask Mr. 

 Smart's assistance with his English version of Satire IX., Lib. 1 

 then ride your hunter to covert for a score of miles along Dick 

 Turpin's Roman Road, being careful to follow it through the 

 Crick fields. " Ibam forte Watling-street " (a wholly unex- 

 pected treat). To me there appeared no corvus sinister, but 

 a whole flight of noisy merry rooks on my right hand amicably 

 escorting the quaintest companion that ever winged it over 



