The Billesdon or South Quorn, 167 



central and tempting post. Within two hours-and- 

 a-half of London (an eight o^clock train from St. 

 Pancras bringing any of the nearer meets within a single 

 day^s work from Town)_, with three packs of hounds 

 hunting up to its very gates, and the cream of the 

 Shires spread round its walls, it must offer food 

 for the most critical appetite — a field for the most 

 ambitious temperament. 



Besides Leicester and Market Harboro^, and midway 

 between them on the main line of railway, is Kib worth 

 — consisting of a village, a station, and a group of 

 hunting boxes. Kibworth lies quite in the centre of 

 the Country ; and is becoming every day more popular 

 as a hunting base. Hotel accommodation it has yet 

 to acquire ; and its chief favour is found in the eyes 

 of men who have a wife, and must needs have a house. 

 In fact, Kibworth is more of a four than a six-days-a- 

 week quarter. For the pack under notice has, with 

 its limited sphere, been in the habit of taking the 

 field only five days a fortnight ; and on many of the 

 other days a long journey is needed to reach, or to 

 return from, another pack — be it the Qaorn, the 

 Cottesmore, or the Pytchley. If you would hunt 

 every day, and still reside in the Billesdon province, 

 you had better go further from the railway, and 

 establish yourself at Billesdon itself — where your field 

 of operations is wider and easier. It was at Billesdon 

 that Mr. Sutton, and for some years afterwards Mr. 

 Tailby, kept the hounds : and hence the B. H. button 

 for the initials of the hunt. Billesdon, again, is not a 

 spot possessing any greater resources of its own than 

 most country villages. You must go there with a 



