518 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



morning of the year. Sunny and oppressive it was, after the 

 night clouds had drifted off, and day had fairly asserted itself. 

 The grooms of Rugby would seem, as is right, to be early birds. 

 They were returning from exercise while the air was still cool, 

 and we yet within doors ! Strings of half-a-dozen, a dozen, and 

 even fifteen horses, all still undipped, trooped past the window- 

 setting one to gape and to covet, when one ought to have been 

 struggling to get into a boot or outside an untimely breakfast. 

 They tell us good horses are scarce. There never was a time 

 when so many men possessed them. And a vast proportion of 

 these fortunate owners are, I am led to believe, quite ready to 

 part, at a price. 



The amateurs were hardly so prompt, to the call of daylight 

 and duty. And to make it, in one sense, worse for themselves, 

 through some misunderstanding they straggled into Bilton 

 village about the time hounds (North Warwickshire to wit) 

 were drawing the spinnies of Bilton Grange. Only, in one 

 sense, though ; for, if they did miss a twenty minutes' gallop, 

 and gnashed their teeth loudly in consequence, at least they 

 avoided the risk of using-up a hunter just carefully summered. 

 The ground was noisy, even under the long grass. To gallop 

 was sinful ; to jump was extravagantly reckless except, of 

 course, under the impulse of duty, so-much-a-week, and horses- 

 found-for-you, none of which grateful incentives come my way 

 or probably yours. There were men out or groping their way 

 to hounds through neighbouring parishes on old hunters with 

 renovated legs, and on young hunters with brand-new under- 

 standings. But for neither order was the ground befitting 

 though some galloped and a few jumped, and the late arrivals 

 were sore at heart. By the side of Rains brook is one of 

 Mr. Parnell's little osier-beds ; and here three or four of the 

 Cook's Gorse foxes (some fifteen to twenty in all by last week's 

 count ! ) had laid up together. Brightly they " lolloped " forth 

 over the dewy greensward a verdant carpet spreading almost 

 unbroken to distant Shuckburgh and lofty Staverton, the arena 

 of many a brilliant run and many an exciting struggle. Like 



