HUNTING TOURS. 35 



and well remembering the superior style of 

 horse his lordship invariably selected, it may 

 be readily assumed that the dam of Gopsal 

 conveyed the beauty of outline. Neighbour, 

 a chesnut — a prevailing colour, by the way — 

 has very good looks to recommend him ; so 

 also has Kelmarsh ; both are in great favour 

 with Lord Curzou. Sunbeam, bought of 

 Darby, who supplies these stables with many 

 of the inmates, and Blondin, are ridden by 

 the huntsman, and are selected to do duty 

 when the hounds meet on the Rugby side. 



To sally forth with a hope of witnessing a 

 day's sport with hounds when the elements 

 appear to be in a state of boisterous anta- 

 gonism can scarcely be reconciled. On the 

 morning when I had determined to meet the 

 Atherstone hounds at Kirkby, one of their 

 favourite fixtures on the Leicestershire side of 

 the country, just about the hour for setting off 

 there was such a contest between hail, snow, 

 and rain, with a boisterous wind, as I never 

 before witnessed, and the probability of any- 

 thing approaching to a scent was a matter of 

 very great doubt ; the ride to cover was any- 

 thing but cheering. However, on reaching 

 Kirkby the weather improved, though it 



