STIMULATING EXPERIENCES. 577 



appearing like a flock of pigeons out of shot, while you and 

 your cowardly, or careful, soul hurry off at a tangent to find a 

 safe gate. But it is ten times more annoying if one or two 

 reckless spirits make the venture, laughing your qualms to 

 scorn, and riding off to leave you in the lurch. It isn't to be 

 stood. Therefore, say I, if a man would be prudent at all let 

 him stop prudently at home. It is not worth while to be 

 hunting if you are to be persecuted all the time by considera- 

 tions of caution and restraint. In the present instance the 

 whole party quickly cast all such uncomfortable self-discipline 

 to the west wind, and followed it hotly across the Market 

 Harboro' country to "Bowden, in spite of occasional ox -rails, of 

 wide ditches, and bony banks. Close to Bowden House hounds 

 came to a check, and once more to slow difficult toil. Already 

 we had come to a point of eight miles, and already we had 

 cordially accepted Mr. Jameson's hospitable suggestion that all 

 should moisten their dust-dried throats ere dispersing. But 

 we had to carry our thirst or put it aside for many a 

 mile yet. 



Our fox had laid up once more, by the canalside : hounds 

 started again on sight : and now for some reason possibly that 

 they had been almost standing still for some minutes past 

 horses began freely to fling their burdens upon the ground. 

 Falls ensued at the rate of about one a minute for a while. 

 And as we had turned back into the wind, scent freshened, and 

 now and again hounds travelled fast. They made the return 

 journey to Lubenham in quick time, but to the Laughton Hills 

 again in slow, then dipped into the valley and went more 

 merrily than ever for a couple of miles along the base of the 

 hills. At the far end they got right up to their fox, but he 

 slipped over the brow, and they ran him smartly towards the 

 village of Laughton and rounded that of Mowsley this, again, 

 some of the prettiest of Mr. Fernie's charming country. By the 

 way these men of " Billesdon or South Quorn " must be hard 

 beyond compare. It takes only a barbed wire, and very little 

 of that, to stop us of Northamptonshire very effectually. But 



p P 



