156 GOOD SPORT 



jumping in and out of covert, or scuttling up a ride 

 at best pace, here, there, and everywhere, as hounds 

 worked the large forest. Trotting to Wakerley 

 Wood, an opening note was proclaimed directly 

 hounds touched the covert. Then it was the horn and 

 voice of the master of Quorn, with the silver whistles 

 of his men, raised melody in the fair domains of 

 Pytchley ! The pack in full-tongued chorus opened 

 on the line, pressing their fox away on the Oakley 

 side, running across a mile or so of high-scenting 

 grass by Newton and Geddington, holding the Chase 

 Woods on the left, into Weekly Hall W^ood, near the 

 town of Kettering. Here they had other foxes on 

 the move, but, sticking well to the hunted one, they 

 chased him backwards and forwards through a 

 chain of coverts, carrying on the hunt in a space 

 of countr}^ that might have been encompassed in 

 a four mile ring-fence. A more perfect sporting 

 country in which to get about it has seldom been 

 our lot to see, for grass predominates between the 

 large tracts of wood, whose rides are rolled during 

 the spring, so that they are firm and level as the 

 proverbial race-course. Lord Lonsdale was putting 

 in a lot of work, and had changed from White Cap 

 to the back of a big brown mare Sloppy Sal, always 

 with his hounds and on his fox, in spite of conflicting 

 halloas. His lordship is one of the cheeriest of 

 huntsmen, putting the whole of the field in a good 

 humour, though he rules with firmness, and will not 

 allow hounds to be pressed or interfered with ! 

 After a rare dusting in covert the hunted one was 

 viewed showing evident signs of distress, and once 

 again in the open, it was delightful to see his 

 lordship lift his pack, as it were in the hollow of his 

 hand, and drop them on the line again a field away. 

 A good fox had been on his legs before the Brocklesby 



