1871] NIMROD LONG. 115 



hours and twenty minutes, first with a Chase Hill fox, 

 who shifted liis burdens on to the shoulders of one from 

 Houlton's covert, who in turn dropped out of the running 

 in favour of one from Foxhole Close, which eventually 

 came to hand in Thomas' Wood. 



There was a big muster at Laceby Cross-roads on 

 March 15th, the morning after the Lincolnshire Light 

 Horse Ball at Grimsby, but it was a very poor day's 

 sport. The next day was productive of more fun, how- 

 ever, a forty -five minutes from Houlton's covert to Healing, 

 where darkness put a stop to the chase, being the best 

 item in a full day's hunting. If February was blustery, 

 March was dry and s<;entless, and an average season 

 finished on the 25th of that month. 



A fresh campaign was started on August 26th, when 

 there was a good morning's work ending with blood, and 

 a couple of puppies actually caught the fox. 



The educational period opened most brightly, but an 

 unfortunate accident soon deprived Long of the services 

 of his first whipper-in, Richard Fridlington, who had suc- 

 ceeded Alfred Thatcher, gone as first whipper-in and kennel 

 huntsman to the Bedale ; he had a nasty fall in the 

 Brocklesby AVoods, and was badly kicked about the head 

 and body. 



There were two good runs during the cub-hunting- 

 season, one being a gallop of an hour and five minutes 

 from South Wood on October 23rd, and the other one of 

 an hour and twenty minutes from Pepperdale the next 

 day, when old Random did great things. But the next 

 three days were nearly as good, and the five consecutive 

 days were a fine sequence of first-class sport, and there 

 was blood each day. 



On October 30 th Mr. Baltazzi had a curious accident 

 with a cub-hunter called " Twice a Week," while hunting 

 near Redbourne. On jumping a drain the horse fell on 

 landing, and dropped back into the drain. He was got 

 out with some difiiculty, when it was discovered that he 

 had — as was thought at the time — broken his of^ hind leg 



