280 HUNTING TOURS. 



an indifferent scent, and hounds bad to work 

 the line, which they did with remarkable 

 truth and industry. Some sound turf, how- 

 ever, favoured their efforts, when they settled 

 down at a fair pace, their musical notes indi- 

 cating their whereabouts ; for at this point 

 the fog was again so thick that they could not 

 be seen a field off, and on reaching Welham a 

 check occurred which could not be recovered, 

 a cattle foil increasing the difficulty. It was 

 afterwards intended to draw a covert of Mr. 

 Tailby's, but on reaching this the fog was too 

 thick to admit of it. Hallaton Fallow Close 

 was the next move, and there the atmosphere 

 was clear. This is a stick covert, on the 

 estate of Lord Cardigan, a warm supporter 

 of all things appertaining to foxhunting, as 

 all the world is aware. These are awkward 

 kinds of coverts for hounds to draw, the dead 

 thorns run into them cruelly, and breaking 

 short off are with difficulty extracted. Never- 

 theless they soon found their fox, and forced 

 him away, pointing for Glooston Wood, which, 

 with the village, they left on the right, Cran- 

 hoe on the left, running in a line for Langton 

 Cauldwell up to Welham, leaving that village 

 on the left, where the fox was lost for want 



