THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



which was lying under a hedge ; running with his head down 

 he never saw it, and ran his chest into the sharp part of the 

 ploughshare, and rolled over dead on the spot. On another 

 occasion I was riding from Belvoir Castle to a meet at 

 Allington, and while approaching one of the gateways in the 

 small grass fields near Woolsthorpe I saw a kestrel hawk 

 seated on the top of the gate. To my surprise, he would not 

 move when I rode up, neither would he do so until I had 

 made a great clatter with my whip in opening and lifting up 

 the latch of the gate. He then flew leisurely away ; I con- 

 clude he was asleep. And once when I was riding near the 

 racecourse at Croxton Park, I saw one of the fallow deer hung 

 up in mid air by the horns to the hay bands which were 

 raised on high posts to prevent people riding over the race- 

 course. On my drawing the attention of a gentleman who 

 was riding with me to this extraordinary coincidence, he 

 galloped off to try and release the stag, but when he got close 

 to him his horse put his foot in a hole and rolled over with 

 him, and so frightened the unfortunate stag that he managed 

 to shake himself clear from his uncomfortable position and 

 galloped off. 



While hunting near Barrowby Thorns, my horse put his 

 foot on a hare in her form without hurting her, but she jumped 

 up into the air higher than I could have believed it possible 

 for so small an animal to do, quite high enough to clear my 

 horse. On another occasion I was galloping down a large 

 grass field near Saxby, and a large field from Melton was out, 

 and there was no room to pull off to the right or the left, when 

 suddenly a large flock of sheep crossed us and came immedi- 

 ately in front of me. My horse, with apparently no difficulty, 

 galloped right over them, touching them lightly on their 

 woolly backs, and doing no harm whatever. 



At this period the Belvoir Hunt had very few difficulties to 

 contend with, as all the large landowners were most friendly 

 and kind, and although the Duke of Rutland was unable to 

 hunt himself, all the hunt correspondence that was of any 

 importance passed through his hands, and the answers were 

 either sent by himself or by his private secretary at his dicta- 



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