76 The Hunting Countries of England. 



For years lie kept twenty horses at Melton. But he 

 has many nice little coverts at Burton — and of course 

 he is pleased to think they are full of foxes for his 

 old finends^ and, in all the generous feeling evolved 

 by foxhunting and its memories, delights in seeing 

 Jiounds drawing his plantations as often as they can 

 come. As a stuttering friend of mine responded to 

 one who would fain have helped him through his 

 half completed sentence — " N . . . nothing of the 

 sort_, sir! Bammey sir, nothing of the sort!!'' He 

 has forgotten the past. 



Plunging northwards up the unkempt Fosse Eoad 

 from Six Hills (which after Christmas,, by the way, 

 no one thinks of doing if they can possibly go 

 round), a three-mile journey brings us to a point 

 opposite Willoughby Village, and about midway 

 between the covert of that name and Curate's 

 Gorse. Willoughby Village is a frequent, and — so 

 long as the Widmerpool country beyond was well 

 cared for — was a favourite meet. The covert (which 

 is blackthorn and gorse) is rather too close to the 

 village, but the inhabitants are vastly fond of fox- 

 hunting — so they leave it undisturbed and many a 

 pretty gallop accrues. If the line should be towards 

 Bunny or Widmerpool, you soon find yourself on 

 a light plough district; but immediately round 

 Willoughby, on every side but one, are small grass 

 enclosures, with neat nice fences worthy of a good 

 horse. Once well away from here, the country will 

 either be still made up of these pleasant green fields 

 (as is the case round Wimeswould), or degenerate 

 Auto plough, with fences of no size, but trappy and 



