234 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



Brington, Brington Clump, and half-way to East Haddon, 

 before their fox beat them. We turned home again then, 

 thinking ourselves great sportsmen, I can tell you. 



The Bicester 



Saturday, February 25. — Chipping Warden. A good 

 gallop and an enjoyable hunt, with a wide-running fox 

 from Johnson's Bushes, a patch of gorse near the wood of 

 Red Hill. Draining operations were going on all round, 

 and men were even digging within twenty yards of the 

 find. Over the hill to the vicinity of Byfield railway 

 station, under the line and over the brook by means of 

 cart-road and bridge — a regular trap. Beyond was a 

 small paddock with double post-and-rails and some ditch. 

 To get to his hounds, Lord Chesham accepted the most 

 trying fence I have seen jumped this winter. The rest of 

 us found a place much smaller ; and eventually, of course, 

 the right man came to render it more amenable still. 

 After leaving Hinton Gorse to the right, hounds going a 

 fair pace, we found ourselves by degrees in far better 

 country. Griffin's Gorse remained three fields to the left ; 

 hounds then bore away from Charwelton village, and ran 

 hard and well into the Pytchley country. This was the 

 nicest part of the run — pace good and country Ai. Soon 

 we mounted on the prominent highland of Sharman's 

 Hill ; and anon we were galloping the wide acres of 

 Fawsley — Fawsley Rectory being probably the furthest 

 point (some five miles). Hitherto the chase had gone 

 almost directly up the cold wind. As they turned down 

 it, scent seemed to fail ; and somewhere after the first good 

 half-hour they undoubtedly changed foxes. Truly, a sharp, 

 good pack will Lord Chesham leave behind him. 



Among those whom I may fairly take to have been 

 enjoying this pleasant run was Mr. Barry, Master of the 

 Duhallow. It may have been out of compliment to him 

 that our fox enforced a greater number of what I may call 

 Irish fences it.e. banks, doubles, and complications) than 

 we often ride over in a fortnight. I believe, too, I am 

 right in supposing that Lord Londonderry found in the 

 gallop a holiday after his own heart. 



