A GREAT WEEK 231 



punishment dealt out by these hardy annuals than by any 

 other honest development of the Grass Countries. 



Well, we had a happy little ride to Cawston after the 

 flying ladies, who afterwards toned down upon a moderat- 

 ing scent while they threaded the railway side towards 

 Long Lawford — some pretty hunting and pretty country. 

 Twice did Carr recover his fox's line very cleverly, before 

 he passed Holbrook Grange and was held on by holloas 

 across a very network of railways. I have always thought 

 that Rugby had a never-ending stream of trains passing 

 in and out during every hour of the twenty-four. This 

 afternoon, b)'^ some marvel the stream seemed checked at 

 this particular period ; or those quick, dapper ladies might 

 have been, like the Royal Irish, decimated ten times over. 



The confines of Rugby still remain grass, whose 

 occupiers desire nothing better than to see a good hole or 

 two knocked in their fences, as some of us, I noticed after- 

 wards, obligingly and effectually did. My story contains 

 little more, under the head of Tuesday, beyond that with 

 their fox, possibly a fresh one, in view in Bilton Grange, 

 they ran again into Cawston Spinnies, where I left them at 

 the end of an hour and a half. I hear they hunted round 

 and beyond for a further thirty minutes or so, before 

 giving up. 



The Pytchley 



JVcdiiesday Morning, 7 a.m. — Rain and tempest beat- 

 ing against the window-panes. " What's the good of 

 calling me on a morning like this ? Go away ! " " Please, 

 sir, what about the horse-box ? " The query, and a cup 

 of tea, brought the slothful one to his senses, among them 

 being that of shame that he should even have dreamed of 

 surrendering a day's hunting. " Very well, stop one horse, 

 and bring me my oldest of old clothes." And at eleven 

 o'clock we were at Lilbourne, with the rainclouds scudding 

 away overhead, the air soft and warm, and about half an 

 ordinary field trooping up in such vestments as each 

 member considered he could best afford to spoil. There 

 was probably more mud flying about on Wednesday than 



