A WEEK WITH SIX PACKS. 539 



Beneath Kilsby and Barby almost to the canal side hounds 

 pressed their game hard, brought him back to and through Kils- 

 by and ran him down fiercely among the hedgerows. 



Wednesday, Nov. 12. The Pytchley at North Kilworth, on 

 a morning that put the bright and sunny side of life in vivid 

 colour before one. Nor do I know that anything throughout 

 the day came specially to dull its brilliancy, unless through the 

 healthy medium of fresh earth and new coats. I read some- 

 where " To smell to a turf of fresh earth is wholesome for the 

 body." But I would qualify the quotation. Earth is a kindly 

 mother. But she should kiss her sons only. To imprint a rough 

 salute on her daughters is doubtful kindness, needless attention 

 and there were two or three who bore her sharp imprint to- 

 day. We rode a delectable country. Each fence stood up 

 clearly, and not awfully, though the ditches lay shrouded some- 

 what indistinctly. But in neither was the harm. It was found 

 rather in the excessive vigour of the phalanx that swept over 

 them. Everybody was on the ride. They ride exceedingly fair 

 to one another (I say nothing about the hounds, that is a 

 business between them and the Master and it must be added, 

 all listen instantly to his word). But anxiety brings close 

 quarters, insufficient scope, excessive and unnecessary grief. 

 Good horses and gallant men to-day were down to a merry tune. 

 I believe, and hope, that neither men nor horses were hurt. 

 But there will be repairs to be made good, by both purveyors of 

 horses and makers of coats. 



From Kilworth Sticks we had a trifling run after finding 

 some lively foxes. Half an hour sufficed for the killing of a 

 young one in Bosworth Village. But, heavens, how we started 

 a false start and a fair start, the latter remarkable for being 

 three fields after a shepherd dog. The shepherd dog was right. 

 But that is hardly sufficient excuse. One man had got a 

 magnificent start meant to keep it and we meant to have it 

 out of him. But he held his own till he had circled over five 

 fences to come back to the pack. 



In the false start there was nothing more edifying than the 



