HUNTING WITH THE COTTESMORE 213 



hunting on to Leesthorpe. Many saddles were 

 emptied during the run, including that of Major 

 Muir, one of the best of the top weights, whose 

 horse got impounded in the Whissendine brook 

 through the banks giving way, and was rescued 

 with some difficulty by ropes and a plough team. 



At the end of March from the woodlands on the 

 Lincolnshire side by Bourne, one of the best days' 

 sport of the season was seen with straight-running 

 foxes, who piloted the way over some of the best of 

 the Belvoir grass country. Starting from Bourne 

 Wood, hounds drove their fox from the huge coverts 

 in this district, running over a rough bit of plough 

 and grass country to Aslackby, where the brook 

 brought some to grief, and, twisting by Laughton, 

 Thatcher had the satisfaction to handle his fox, 

 after a fine hunting run of ninety minutes. Find- 

 ing again in Kirkby Wood, another strong fox 

 covert of huge acreage, they had the good luck to 

 run a six-mile point over the grass and the Belvoir 

 steeplechase course below Lenton up to Humby 

 Wood, where scent gave out. The field included 

 the retiring master, Mr. Evan Hanbury, and the 

 master elect, the Earl of Lonsdale. 



Tom Firr often took a " huntsman's holiday," 

 having a bye-day with a neighbouring pack, and 

 Arthur Thatcher recalls one of these occasions when 

 he rode with the Cottesmore. " I remember finding 

 a fox at Berry Gorse, and Tom Firr was out, riding 

 one of Mr. Russel Monro's horses. We jumped 

 into the Melton road together ; he rode on the right 

 hand, and I was on the left of hounds. Running 

 fast to Cold Overton Wood, I asked him to go on, 

 and he viewed the fox away for me. We finished 

 with a mark to ground in a drain close to Oakham 

 after a very good hunt. I always thought Tom 



