460 The Hunting Countries of England, 



THE RUPEORD.* 



The County of Nottingham, thougli a next-door 

 neighbour of Leicestershire, is where the great 

 northern area of plough begins, and grass conies to 

 an end. As you cross the Trent, in fact, you leave 

 '' The Shires " and embark upon The Provinces. You 

 may wander northwards, and find first-rate foxhunt- 

 ing everywhere as you go. But it is foxhunting of a 

 less elastic, perhaps less gaudy type than you left 

 behind. Hounds are as good — in some instances even 

 better. Foxes may be ditto ; horses very nearly so. 

 Huntsmen are quite as clever ; and Masters just as 

 fond of the game. The falling-off is found in the 

 ground, the scent, the dash, and the go. The gain (?) 

 is the freedom from a crowd of good company. All 

 the world does not care about coffeehousing. No, 

 but foxhunters are a sociable race, whether at work or 

 play. Eigorous sport, alas, does not go on all day 

 and every day ; and pleasant companions at your 

 elbow are very often a godsend. 



The South Notts, as their name implies, take all the 

 lower part of Nottinghamshire. The Ruff or d follow 



* Vide Stanford's " Hunting Map," Sheet 9, and Hobson's 

 Foxliunting Atlas. 



