98 The Hunting Countries of England. 



hearing of what turn out to be but two odd couple, 

 while the body of the pack is miles away. But you 

 forget all this when at last your turn comes to be 

 with hounds as they issue forth for one of the long 

 straight runs that belong only to a wild country and 

 woodland bred foxes. Orton Park Wood (some fifty 

 acres at the most) is one of the fairest samples of the 

 Hunt. It is generally called upon in immediate 

 sequence to an appeal to the hospitable precincts of 

 Knossington Hall. There are always foxes at Orton 

 Park Wood, and nearly always a run from it — 

 whether over the half drained pastures towards 

 Braunston or Barleythorpe, or on to Prior^s Coppice 

 or its neighbours, or by Ranksboro^ to any other 

 good point. Lady Wood forms a link with the 

 larger woods of Owston, distant a smart five minutes' 

 gallop. Owston Great Wood and Little Wood 

 together are a couple of miles in length ; but nowhere 

 much more than a quarter of a mile in breadth. 

 There is little undergrowth, but a hearty welcome 

 has ever made the fastness sweet in vulpine eyes ; 

 and foxes are more often found by the half dozen. 

 Hounds rattle through it like wildfire, slip away from 

 it at the most unexpected point, and to make sure of 

 a start with them is looked upon in the Hunt as a 

 problem little short of squaring the circle. Owston 

 Wood is often advertised as a meet; but from one 

 point or another it is seldom left undrawn for a week. 

 With a fox breaking back to Launde Wood there 

 need not necessarily be a run, though there often will 

 be. But let him go for the Quorn covert of John o' 

 Gaimt, for the Twyford or Burrough lordships, and 



