SNATCHED IN THE SNOW. 485 



ing the fair line that we rode, you remember, a month ago 

 'Swinford Old Covert to Welford it was then). We even struck 

 two of its gaps for the quickest of gallops seldom fails to leave 

 in each fence a hole that a half-a-crown would scarcely mend. 

 But we held north this time instead of. south, and faced the 

 freezing breeze, as it blew from South Kilworth Covert. The 

 railway that plays havoc with this Garden of Eden had all the 

 wickedness knocked out of it at first encounter. " It'll do there, 

 John ! " And the ever-ready John made it do, by going in and 

 out cleverly on the baldnosed bay giving confidence to a vast 

 number of us who would no more have thought of attacking a 

 railway than of riding a steam engine barebacked. 



Things went on happily till we reached the water beneath 

 the covert. I read that all the streams of Europe are in full 

 ilood this week. The young Avon certainly is. We looked for 

 a ford but found none. But the local pilots went at once for a 

 bridge. Our fox cared nothing for the covert ; threw it on his 

 right hand, and pointed for Misterton the pace continuing, and 

 the ground growing wetter and sloshier at every stride (thank 

 Heaven I am now no man's valet though I took my turn as a 

 fag at Rugby). This was no crucial burst that calls for my 

 hazarding statements as to who cut out the work here, who was 

 near the pack there. Everybody was busy ; and a large number 

 were close to hounds never pressing them, however, till a great 

 rearguard came up with a rush at North Kilworth (for by this 

 time hounds had turned right, and should with any luck have 

 pursued the even tenor of their way to the death). We were 

 taken to within a field or so of Kilworth Sticks (perhaps a four- 

 mile point) ; then a crawling fox was hunted up to a holloa 

 behind the village. Isn't this a delightful country ? And by 

 the way are you old enough to have seen Charles Kean in the 

 " Corsican Brothers ? " He was a clean-shaved, square-faced man, 

 was he not ? (No aspersion in these adjectives, I trust.) But 

 he never thought of such sympathy of instinct as I witnessed 

 to-day. Two brothers came into a field from very diverse 

 points. There could be only one outlet yet the world looked 



