i64 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



the opposite wall. It is a characteristic of Leicester- 

 shire foxes to climb trees for safety, owing to the 

 surface soil in many districts being loose and 

 shallow, so that maundering dogs can easily scratch 

 out and disturb them. 



A sack was procured in which to secure the fox 

 through the register grate, and Mr Otho Paget, 

 the well-known hunting correspondent of the Field, 

 who had divested himself of his scarlet coat, soon 

 had the soot-begrimed fugitive safe inside the bag. 

 The party in the parlour were Lady Greenall, Mr 

 E. W. Griffith, the Rev. J. P. Seabrooke, vicar of 

 the parish and leader of the chase, Ben Capell, and 

 Jack Hewitt. Then the field-master up and said 

 " This fox goes scot free ! for dog or vixen it deserves 

 to live after making such a bold bid to save its 

 brush ! " The sentiment was endorsed by the 

 assembled field, for the bold aviator had won the 

 popular verdict for enterprise and daring. It 

 proved to be a vixen suckling cubs, none the worse 

 for her long descent down the chimney ; so a second 

 horseman was sent with the bag to shake her down 

 near the covert from which she started. The cubs 

 in due time we hope were instructed by the vixen, 

 to " 'ware villages and public-houses" ; for not one 

 in a hundred can expect to escape the evil conse- 

 quences. So it proved the following Saturday, 

 when the Belvoir again had a quick hunt over the 

 Leicestershire grass, ending with the hunted one 

 jumping up on to the roof of an out-building, from 

 which he was speedily dislodged, to become a lawful 

 prey to the pack below. 



After this interlude a move was made to Melton 

 Spinney, a famous black-thorn covert on the hill- 

 side, seen from the railway which runs from Melton 

 to Grantham. A hunt from this covert, which 



