68 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



quarry was shallow, and the fox was bolted by 

 pounding the surface, which made the sand 

 underlying the stone fall. The fox led straight 

 across the vale, through Uffington Wood, to 

 Ashdown ; where he was killed close to the 

 house, a distance of seventeen miles as the crow 

 flies. The Master was not out himself, and Mr. 

 Blandy returned to Hinton to give an account 

 of the excellent sport they had enjoyed. Mr. 

 Robert Symonds came out to meet the hounds 

 and servants, who were naturally rather late, 

 with a loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, 

 and a bottle of brandy, in his arms. He 

 stood at the top of the steps at his front 

 door, while Mr. Blandy recounted the events 

 of the day. Mr. Symonds was naturally of an 

 excitable nature, and when he heard of the fox 

 being bolted from the quarry by stamping, he 

 burst into a peal of laughter, and down rolled 

 the loaf of bread amongst the hounds. When 

 the story got to Uffington Wood, the cheese 

 followed the bread ; and when the kill at Ash- 

 down was told, the bottle of brandy slipped 

 from under his arm, and was smashed on the 

 stone steps, much to the chagrin of the hungry 

 hunt servants. Mr. Symonds maintained a 

 very close connection with the hunt until Mr. 

 Codrington retired in 1824, when he again 

 sent his horses to auction. One " Fisherman " 



