PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS 



but leaving that covert one field to his left, made as if for 

 Waltham, but bearing to the left again, he passed over Mr. 

 Rippin's large grass fields, which were strongly fenced with ox- 

 rails. The huntsman's horse, after clearing the fence, lit with 

 his hind legs on an oxer, smashing it to pieces and making it 

 an easier place for the rest of the field who followed him. 

 Those who were well to the front at this time were Mr. 

 Bruxner, Mr. Henry Partridge, myself and my brother Mr. 

 Francis Sloane Stanley, Captain Owen Williams, Mr. John 

 Welby, Mr. Bower Talbot and one or two farmers. Shortly 

 afterwards we crossed the Melton and Grantham turnpike 

 road at the little dip in the road to the north of the site of 

 the old toll-bar. The pace was a regular cracker as we 

 passed Stonesby Gorse, leaving that covert on our right until 

 we got to Garthorpe Moor. Over the plough they went at a 

 steadier pace, which enabled the Duke of Rutland and others 

 to catch us up near Coston. The huntsman, the whipper-in 

 and I all fell together at a very blind ditch on the taking- 

 off side of a fence out of a deep ploughed field, and the three 

 horses got away and mine followed on with the hunt for half 

 a mile or more, and I saw him jumping the fences until he 

 was out of sight, and I had to follow on the line on foot 

 until I found my horse, which had been caught and kindly tied 

 up to a gatepost by Mr. John Welby. The huntsman's horse 

 did not go very far and was soon caught and remounted by 

 him. They then ran past Coston and made as if for Woodwell 

 Head, but did not go into the covert, and there was no check 

 until they ran into a small plantation not far from Barrow 

 Gorse. Unfortunately a fresh fox jumped up here ; the hounds 

 divided, and some time was lost in getting them together 

 again. They then ran through Barrow Gorse, and as it was 

 becoming very dark and all the horses were beat, the hunts- 

 man was obliged to whip off, so this good fox saved his life. 

 Very few got to the end of this grand run, the distance of 

 which from point to point must have been at least fourteen 

 or fifteen miles. The run was too much for Mr. Bower Talbot's 

 fine hunter, and he died in some farm buildings near the 

 spot where the hounds were stopped, and though the horse 



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