82 HUNTING TOURS. 



the finest woodlands in the world. They 

 commence about five or six miles north-east 

 of Market Harborough, and extend, with 

 intervals of open country, nearly to Wans- 

 ford, a distance approximating twenty miles, 

 though the latter portion is within the juris- 

 diction of the Honourable George Fitzwil- 

 liam's Hunt. 



The hounds found their first fox about 

 eleven o'clock, and, with occasional checks, 

 ran for two hours, when they lost. Going to 

 find again, a fox crossed a riding before the 

 hounds, and they set too running him merrily 

 and as fresh as if they had just thrown off. 

 This continued some three hours, when the 

 men's horses tired, and frequent changes of 

 foxes occurred, though luckily the hounds 

 did not divide — a most remarkable circum- 

 stance. Impressed with a hope that a fox 

 would leave the woods, the Squire and his 

 whips took it in turns, till the horses of the 

 latter fairly tired, and Mr. Osbaldeston was 

 left alone in his glory. The whole of the 

 field was either beaten or had returned home. 

 Let us sympathise with the plucky Squire, 

 without aid, his own horse scarcely able to 

 simulate a trot, yet hearing, at times, his 



