THE BUILDERS OF BELVOIR 



the road that leads from Bottesford to the north road up to 

 Normanton Thorns. The fox had skirted the covert without 

 entering it, leaving it on his left, and when we reached the 

 top of the adjoining hill we viewed him two fields ahead. 

 He now took the road which leads to Long Bennington, but 

 turned from it into the lane that leads to the left to Gotham, 

 and leaving that he made his point to the north road, which 

 he kept on his right till close to Gotham village. He had 

 now run ten miles with the wind directly in his teeth, and 

 all persons were unanimous in considering it as a fine run 

 and expecting immediate death. They little knew the 

 strength and intentions of the animal before them. He 

 had been sorely pressed since he jumped up in view, and, 

 finding that his up-wind course was no longer safe, he 

 deserted whatever point he had in that line and turned back 

 down-wind from Mr. Evelyn Smith's white-faced house, by 

 which measure he at first threw the hounds to hunting.* 

 They however recovered their terms in a few moments, and, 

 going back close to Long Bennington town, stretched away 

 on a line for Foston until they reached the road that runs 

 from the former place towards Allington. They ran along 

 it nearly a mile until they came to a small fir plantation on 

 the eastern side of the lane in Allington Lordship. Here 

 they turned away to the right by Bennington Grange, crossed 

 the Nottingham turnpike road, left Muston village on their 

 right, and went up to Sir John Thorold's plantation. The 

 fox came out in view to many gentlemen, and made for the 

 canal bridge opposite, but being headed by a man there, he 

 returned through the covert and away at the opposite end. 

 Two couples of hounds got away close to his brush, and the 

 remainder hunted after them up to the river and overtook 

 them when within three fields of Sedgebrook village. They 



^ Mr. Cholmondeley, who had been thrown out in the course of the 

 run, hearing the hounds returning towards him, looked for the fox, and 

 saw him come through a fence close to him, and not more than two 

 fields before the hounds. He waited for a few minutes, and then re- 

 turned back through the hedge towards the hounds, but, of course, 

 speedily changed his direction again. 



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