HUNTING TOURS. 305 



me. He succeeded in oettino: some of the 

 hounds, and they settled to their work in a 

 manner that none will do unless accustomed 

 to such difficulties. They were not lon^ in 

 reaching Bescoby Oakes, but there were only 

 nine couples. On entering that covert they 

 inclined to the left, and away straight as 

 possible for Croxton Park. As I passed 

 through the gate on to the classic turf, 

 reminiscences of Billesdon Coplows came 

 across me, but the speed of Bellissima would 

 have failed to outpace the pack. How charm- 

 ing it is to see the efforts of the overriding 

 crew defeated. Like pigeons the hounds flew 

 over the hill — they had never been inter- 

 rupted ; the pace from the commencement 

 had been too good for that. Down the vale 

 to Branstone they rushed, where the fox, 

 being headed, turned on the right, which 

 occasioned a check. Time thirty minutes, 

 distance over six miles. Recovering the line, 

 the hounds hunted their fox magnificently 

 to the nursery at Knipton, where the fox 

 was viewed, but, closely pressed, he quitted 

 his quarters, and soon after found an asylum 

 in a bank near Allen's Wood. Here they 

 were joined by the remainder of the pack 



