22 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



indeed of leafy hedges that we cannot see through, and 

 before the bullocks are out of the pastures. I can tell you 

 nothing further back than October 29, except upon hear- 

 say, a weapon I take in hand only when crippled. On 

 that day the Pytchley ran all a sunny morning and flew 

 for a short while in the afternoon. If ever sunshine 

 should have had power to spoil sport (a power I think it 

 never has, cceteris similibus, though it can dazzle you, con- 

 fuse your horse, and certainly cloud a wire-strand) it should 



She dropped half-a-dozen resounding stripes on his off 



shoulder 



have been that Friday. Yet hounds ran hard under it 

 for quite an hour, reduced both their fox and their field 

 to a trot, and made a fine run without help. They were 

 laid on their game as he stole away from Badby Wood. 

 They ran him round the Fawsley estate, then pushed him 

 quite an uncommon line by Catesby to Shuckburgh Hill, 

 fox winning by about a dozen lengths all out. There are 

 not so many gates in the county of Meath, as the right 

 division of pursuers opened alongside hounds this forenoon. 

 In the afternoon again was an unusual line taken — 

 for a pretty inauguration of a promising season (there are 

 no prophetic berries on the hedges ; the turf is full of wet 



