172 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



CHAPTER XXIV 



FIRST SCORES 



The first satisfactory run of this season was on Wednes- 

 day, November i6, with the Pytchley. " Raced him for 

 twenty minutes, and hunted him to death in thirty more " 

 is how we should epitomise it. 



Here are further particulars, if you care for them and 

 will take them as I could snatch them. Wednesday's was 

 a damp, misty morning, with a rising glass — such a morn- 

 ing as has given us many a gallop, and was likely enough 

 to give us one to-day. So I took upon myself to prophesy, 

 with endorsement from the huntsman as he entered the 

 train at Northampton for Kil worth. 



Speaking afterwards, I believe myself safe in asserting 

 that it was a rare scenting day. Hounds ran hard enough 

 from Kilworth Sticks to Misterton ; but they could not 

 force their fox past shepherds and ploughmen. 



At 2.10 we Were at the W^ilderness Covert, in Stanford 

 Hall Park, the starting-point of good gallops innumerable, 

 and in every direction. To-day there were left perhaps a 

 hundred people (nearly all, in fact, of the morning), when 

 the dash came across the ridge-and-furrow of the old park 

 for the iron wicket of the corner. " Nearly blown my 

 horse already, getting here ! " was one galloper's remark, 

 that would have applied to all. 



Will's horn was going as he rode, and a dozen couple 

 were already flying past the little round dell known as the 

 Icehouse Spinney. Most of the leading men seemed to 

 remember a tangible spot in the big double beneath dis- 

 covered a fortnight ago, or, if I recognised it aright, 

 pointed out so deftly a year or so since by Mr. Steeds. 

 At any rate it was there now, very useful and very slippery ; 

 and fortunate were they who reached it in time. For the 

 bitches were streaming madly up the great pastures beyond, 

 and we were hindered again for one moment, while thread- 

 ing a cattle-pen on the hilltop, to gain the Swinford and 

 South Kilworth Road. 



