120 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



to Haines's, in the morning, and quite fast enough to 

 satisfy anyone. In fact, he went from Queenborough 

 nearly to Syston ; when, crossing the Leicester road, and 

 charging the river Soar in his course, we ran into him 

 close to the windmill on the hill, within a few hundred 

 yards of Mount Sorrel Town ; and thus ended one of the 

 finest runs ever seen in that or any other country, it 

 having consisted of every description of hunting, and 

 of every description of difficulties, which could put the 



goodness and condition of hounds, the science of their 

 untsnian, the bottom of the horses, and the nerves and 

 judgment of their riders, to the test. 



" Were I to relate all the disasters and casualties that 

 occurred on this memorable day," resumed Lord Edmon- 

 ston, " I should make my story too long ; and I wish I 

 could conclude it without stating that several horses died 

 in consequence of it. I must, however, mention one cir- 

 cumstance relating to the far-famed master of the pack. 

 After we had been going for at least three-quarters of an 

 hour, and at the best pace, with our horses not a little 

 the worse for it, all of us who were up with the hounds 

 at the moment, made for the corner of a large grass-field, 

 near Dalby, which was surrounded by an immense ox- 

 fence, and particularly strong in that one particular part. 

 We were assured, however, that the gate in the corner 

 would open, and this by that good old sportsman, Henton 

 of Hoby, who said he had passed through it that morning ; 

 but we found, to our cost, there was no longer a gate 

 there. It had been broken to pieces by some bullocks, 

 and replaced with a flight of rails, so high and so strong 

 as to bring all the leading men to a standstill. In fact, 

 we were turning away from it in despair, looking for a 

 practicable place in the ox-fence, when Meynell, mounted 

 on his famous old grey horse, came up ; and, without 

 breaking his stride, leaped it in the most beautiful style 

 imaginable, leaving us all in the lurch, for a time, not one 

 having the nerve to follow him, although the hounds were 

 a field or two a-head, running with a breast-high scent at 

 the time." l 



"With the exception of the Captain, who cared nothing 



about hounds, and whose attention was chiefly attracted 



to the movements of the four greys, and the masterly 



style in which they were handled by their driver, this 



1 This is a fact. 



