THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



of the Quorn, took the management of the country, after his 

 father's age prevented him from taking so active a part in 

 the hunt as formerly. 



To return to the Belvoir, Goosey was a good kennel hunts- 

 man, and he knew full well that exercise and judicious 

 feeding give that stoutness and condition without which 

 hounds cannot kill foxes. All the powers of endurance of 

 the pack were to be tested, for hounds hunted one hundred 

 and twenty days, from August 7th to April 6th. There was 

 only one day of frost, and hounds made an average of four 

 days a week all through the season proper. The weather 

 was of course open and most enjoyable. A remarkable run 

 was with a fox from Aunsby, which ran hard across the heavy 

 plough — corn was worth growing then in Leicestershire — 

 over which there was a good scent, and when the horses were 

 already half-tired with jumping out of the plough over the 

 stiff fences and wide ditches, they got into the country round 

 Folkingham, where there are now, and doubtless were then, 

 some good grass fields, and where the scent, which had before 

 been good, became a burning one. Hounds ran clean away 

 from horses, and by the time they reached Laughton were 

 out of sight, nor were they found again till the next day. A 

 shepherd was the only spectator of the finish, when hounds 

 ran into and killed their fox near Sempringham, on the very 

 borders of the fen country. Though the distance between 

 the two points is little more than four miles, the severity of 

 the country and the pace, account for the loss of the hounds. 

 The following season the pack was in splendid condition and 

 discipline, and for hard work and power of hunting was un- 

 surpassed in the Midlands. This year again, the great run 

 of the season took place on the Lincolnshire side, a fact 

 which in itself is a testimony to the stoutness of the hounds. 

 From Boothby Great Wood over a chain of coverts close to 

 Grantham, hounds ran down to Osgodby, where the fox 

 turned sharp and ran a very direct course to Folkingham and 

 back again to Pickworthy. Here the hunted fox, or another, 

 jumped up in view of hounds, and they coursed him to ground 

 at Osbournby. Only Lord Tweeddale — the father of the 



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