The Cottesmore. 99 



there must be a gallop^ passing fair and fast. Some 

 two miles east of Owston Wood is another hundred- 

 acre brake known as Prior^s Coppice,, for which 

 Brook Hall or Leigh Lodge may be the meet^ and 

 round which a grand country circles to Oakham, 

 Manton, and Belton. From here too the smaller 

 copse of Oakham Pasture, and Manton Gorse, form 

 either a second draw, or tempting points to fix a 

 fox^s course. 



At the back of Owston Wood, and running parallel 

 with it a couple of miles away, are Launde Wood and 

 Launde Park Wood — each being deep rided, extensive, 

 and well stored with foxes. Eough hills contain, and 

 surround, these great coverts; and to post yourself at 

 one spot with a view to getting away with hounds is 

 merely accepting a hundred to one chance. You 

 must wade the rides, or scramble through the thin 

 undergrowth with hounds and huntsman. Then will 

 you break into the open with them ; and follow a fox 

 that will hang nowhere till he is lost, or his mask is 

 at the saddle. For the foxes of these grass wood^ 

 lands (as we may term them, in contradistinction to 

 the still bigger coverts of their eastern ploughs) love 

 the open hills; and it is seldom their fault if they 

 do not give a gallop. Pound the parishes of Tugby, 

 Belton, and Allexton there is a great grass country ; 

 or your line may be struck in the Melton direction. 

 In the latter case you either run on towards the 

 Quorn country (perhaps John 0^ Gaunt), or find 

 yourself cutting through (seldom dwelling in) another 

 cluster of woods — to wit Skefiington and Tilton Woods, 

 Tugby Bushes, Loddington Redditch, and several of 



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