LORD KINTORE 93 



of the noble science of fox hunting, I could not help 

 admiring the condition of his pack — h'ght and airy — 

 yet with substance to get over the difficulties of the 

 vale in which they were placed. They drew their first 

 covert, Kingstone Spinney, without finding, and pro- 

 ceeded towards Uffington Wood, but before they 

 reached it a fox jumped out of a small spinney, and, 

 turning his head towards the vale, seemed determined 

 to give his pursuers a taste of the difficulties of his 

 native country. He went away by Uffington village 

 over the meadows towards Challow, and after a ring 

 of fifty minutes without a check, succeeded in mak- 

 ing good his point to Uffington Wood. Here some 

 difficulties arose from the endeavours of the wily 

 animal to baffle the hounds. It was evident that he 

 had left the wood, but nothing could be made of him 

 beyond it. At last he jumped up in a ploughed field, 

 went back to the wood, sank into the vale through 

 Uffington Common, crossed the canal over the brook 

 to Rosey, by Fernham and Little Coxwell, and suc- 

 ceeded in gaining the Coxwell Woods. Here he was 

 supposed to be safe, but the gallant pack would not 

 be defeated, and poor Reynard was obliged to run for 

 his life ; after a second race of an hour and ten 

 minutes over a beautiful but severe country, he was 

 killed. Of the field of nearly a hundred who began 

 the day, there were present at his death only Lord 

 Kintore, one of his whippers, Messrs. Mills, Barker, 

 and one or two other gentlemen. In conclusion we 

 may say with Shakespeare 



" Such a day, 

 So fought, so followed and so fairly won " 



has seldom been witnessed. The number of beaten 

 horses was of course great, and some it is to be feared 

 have seen their last day's sport. In the first run 

 amongst the gentlemen at head were to be seen 



