The Cotswold. 281 



afterwards under the mauagement of Harry Ayres, 

 his clever and veteran huntsman. So fond are his 

 hounds said to have been of the Earl^ that when, as 

 often happened, he was driving late to the meet, the 

 old huntsman could always point to the pack and give 

 out " Master's on the road ! '' long before his carriage 

 was visible in the distance, or the sound of its wheels 

 could be heard. When once he had driven up and 

 alighted he would let his favourites jump over and 

 bedaub him with mud to their hearts' content. 



Naunton Inn is another meet in this neighbourhood, 

 with the thorn covert at Gazeley and the New Gorse 

 to draw. From Salperton Park, too, after drawing 

 the plantations, they are likely to take the same lot of 

 coverts as from the two last-mentioned meets, and of 

 course equally likely to take a trip into the Heythrop. 

 Withington is generally advertised for its wood, and 

 for Chedworth and the Star Wood; and a meet at 

 Fossebridge is pretty certain to be followed by a find 

 in the Osier Bed. From the Chedworth Woods, by 

 the way, an excursion into the wall and tableland 

 portion of the V.W.H. is a very probable con- 

 tingency. 



Saturday, too, is all on the hill, and embraces all 

 the lower part of the country — to wit, from Chelten- 

 ham to Cirencester. The overhanging woodlands of 

 Cranham cover a great rough area in this district; 

 but, apart from these, the coverts are not of an 

 inordinate size. Chatcomb is perhaps the nearest to 

 Cheltenham of the Saturday meets — being situated 

 close to Seven Springs, the source of the Thames. 

 From here are drawn the larch plantations of Mr. 



