10 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



and every nerve of bold Reynard turn to stone -within him with 



their wikl music. There was a maddening scent in covert, and 



they dusted the enemy without a second's relief, as he 



obstinately refused to face the open. Keen as mustard, and 



anxious to be away as girls are to be married, the men of 



Quorn crowded, shivering with impatience, at the gate at the 



top corner, drinking in greedily the melody that had been so 



long denied them. 



All we hope and all we love 

 Finds a voice in this blithe strain, 

 "Which wakens hill and wood and vill. 

 And vibrates far o'er field and vale. 

 And which Echo, like the tale 

 Of old times, repeats again. 



The fox evidently meant to have taken to the grass if he 

 could ; for more than once he came right up to the road, but, 

 too bashful to run the gauntlet of so many eyes, was forced at 

 last to tread the plebeian plough, and break over the bastard 

 tract that gives Segrave unenviable notoriety as the mud-pie of 

 the hunt. A figure of eight between Cossington, Segrave, 

 Thrussington Wolds and Walton Thorns (approaching within 

 a field the two last-named coverts), is quite sufficient to say 

 about the line pursued in this ftart of the run. The scent that 

 was so sweet in covert was smothered in the dirt stockings that 

 clung to the vulpine pads ; but the pack, though bursting with 

 excitement, never lost their heads, but used them to exemplar}- 

 jDurpose, picking out every 3'ard, and dashing on whenever 

 there was an opportunity. The deep going told terribly on 

 the horses after their long vacation, and froth and bellows 

 were the chief features of the symptoms — though, be it 

 admitted, the metropolitan grooms had done wonders by their 

 charges in spite of all difficulties. To well-bred hunters there 

 could only be a sense of degradation in being called upon to 

 waste their energies in such a sea of slush. " Slothering " 

 knee deep at their fences, or pulled u]) in front of a contemp- 

 tible briar-and-dyke, " re^less they pawed the ungenial soil, 

 snuffed the gross air." 



