The Cottesmore. 101 



may well draw men from a distance — wlien a reward 

 may await tliem like the run of last season_, to Lees- 

 tliorpe and halfway back (a three hours^ gallop, and 

 of course a change of foxes). All round Wardley is 

 a strong country ; and the best line, perhaps, is one 

 that will land you at Prior ^s Coppice. 



Turning now to their Oakham, or middle country, 

 by which term we have denominated the centre strip, 

 running north and south past Oakham, we hnd that 

 hounds are usually in it on Thursdays; and that it 

 embraces such a variety of feature, as to include light 

 easy grass, small gorse coverts, big woodlands and a 

 wide extent of plough. The Bull at Witham Common 

 and Crown Point are the northernmost meets; and 

 may probably mean Gunby Gorse, whence a fox may 

 come westwards for the grass, but is more likely to 

 travel the light plough into the big woods of Witham 

 or Morkery, and land you therein for the afternoon. 

 If, however, a fair wind blows him to Woodwell 

 Head, you may forthwith be embarked on quite a 

 different campaign. Some of the prettiest ground in 

 the Hunt is the timber-fenced vale that stretches 

 below Woodwell Head (which, by the way, is a neat 

 small wood of great attraction to foxes). The land 

 here would seem to be more suited to the placid 

 Leicester ewe, or, at most, the heavy milch cow — 

 rather than to the restless shorthorn bullock — for the 

 rails which go to make up the greater proportion of 

 the fences are thin as hurdles and brittle as touch- 

 wood. So the faintest heart may travel in confidence 

 till the Vale of Catmose changes its mood, as it is 

 sure to do in a few miles to south or west. Then let 



