The Quorn, 77 



blind. Your fox must determine wMcli variety you 

 shall encounter ; for both phases are to be found in 

 any direction. A common_, and, it may be^ a good 

 line is to Ellar^s Grorse — a covert that has, however, 

 scarcely paid its rent of late years — and thence over 

 the Fosse to the Curate. The last named famous 

 gorse, with its companion Parson^s Thorns, are just 

 over, and on, the summit of the high ground above 

 the Belvoir Yale — the village of Hickling being a 

 mile or so beneath the Parson^ s. Indeed, the chief 

 charm of these time-honoured coverts is the chance 

 of dropping into the Yale (in its very best part) and 

 attaining a sharp sweet burst to Old Dalby Wood, to 

 Sherbrooke-'s Covert (of the Duke''s), or to the neutral 

 covert of Holwell Mouth. A pleasanter line cannot 

 be ridden than to either of these three points — save 

 when the Smite is encountered in an intractable form. 

 As we move on to Widmerpool all again depends on 

 the direction taken by foxes — when there are any. 

 It may be accepted as a general statement (not with- 

 out its exceptions) that all the country to the west of 

 the Fosse Road is very inferior to that on the east, 

 the Melton side. At and near Widmerpool are ex- 

 tensive coverts (as Leicestershire coverts go) — Roehoe 

 Wood and Kinoulton Corse being instances. Beyond 

 these are Owthorpe Borders, Wynstay Corse, and 

 many plantations, all which are just above the Yale 

 — and if a fox will run thither ^tis all you want. But 

 should he take you down towards Costock, Bunny, 

 Plumptre, &c., your fate will be a less stirring one> 

 and your career less exciting. 



Turning now to the part that is neutral with the 



