CHAPTER IV 



TWO GOOD DAYS IN 1889 SEEN WITH THE 

 COTTESMORE AND GEORGE GILLSON 



The Cottesmore in the neutral Belvoir coverts — March foxes — The meet 

 at Corby, fifteen miles from everywhere — Mr. W. Baird and George 

 Gillson — Mr. Baird's hunt horses — The big grey horse in the 

 presentation picture — George Gillson as a huntsman — Gillson's 

 rustic admirers — Some of the field in a good hunt from Corby 

 pastures, and incidents of the run — Away by Lenton Spire — The 

 Rev. Thomas Heathcote — The Rev. Edward Bradley-Cuthbert 

 Bede — The finish at Sapperton — A repetition of the Corby run 

 — The field out — A good start — Baldwin, the flying fox — A good 

 riding field over the steeplechase course by Lenton — The finish by 

 Osbournby hill-top covert — Twenty-five miles back to kennels. 



" Now full murk lie the meads upon Barleythorpe plain, 

 And the storm-god is drenching fair Catmos with rain ; 

 The mavis and merle they sit silent in bower, 

 And the chorus of the woodlands all tunelessly cower. 

 But at ten o' the morn comes Gillson and horn, 

 Working wondrous change in the scene forlorn. 

 The cry, ' Oh, the hunt's up ! ' right cheerily sounds, 

 And all Cottesmore's astir with the Barleythorpe hounds." 



— Tom Markland in Fores Magazi?ie. 



It seems a long way casting back twenty years to 

 describe two days' sport enjoyed with the Cottes- 

 more, but there are several riding to-day who 

 remember the circumstances as clearly as if they 

 happened yesterday. Until referring to the diary 

 to find the dates were March and April 1889, it was 

 impossible to imagine it was so long ago, but after 

 all a man is only as old as he feels ! At the end of 

 the season it has always been a custom with the 

 Cottesmore to hunt the neutral coverts on the 

 borders of the Belvoir country, and, if possible, kill 

 off a few dog-foxes. Though March is a ticklish 



