1871—72.] WET LEICESTERSHIEE. 61 



Wood, the pace tremendous, and the narrowness of the hand- 

 gates forcing all who wanted to be within hail to flounder over 

 the awkward timber and wondrously-built fences at their sides. 

 But the wood was not his point after all ; and he turned away 

 within a field of it, and led them such a dance along the high 

 ridge overlooking Oakham that he succeeded in fairly bursting 

 every horse. For three or four and twenty minutes the pack 

 cracked along with a thorough mastery of their field ; and the 

 farther they went, the more completely did they settle the 

 question of hounds versus horses through dirt. Never was a 

 line of gates so welcome as now ; for horses were soon so 

 beaten that they could scarcely raise a jump at all, and for about 

 the first time in memory a run w^as complained of as being 

 *' too fast." Through Oakham Pasture they flew down to the 

 lower ground — though wading would more nearly express the 

 mode of progression of wearied steeds as they reached it. A 

 momentary slip over the scent, and a chorus of holloas on to 

 an outl3ang stranger, lost them their fox — who went on past 

 Oakham, and was actually seen by Jack West to try the 

 kennel doors of the Cottesmore at Barleythorpe. Three or 

 four hounds would have followed to immolate him on the 

 threshold of the temple he bad sought, but were unfortunately 

 whipped off to what Avas supposed to be the right line, and this 

 wonderfully good game fox got clear off before they returned 

 to try and mark him down. Wonderfully good and game we 

 may call bim, for he trusted only to his powers of speed and 

 endurance for his safety, never stopped nor doubled, and for 

 those four-and-twenty minutes he had Mr. Tailby's brilliant 

 lady-pack coursing him as if in view. Horses stopped dead 

 beat in every field ; tails were uplifted and shaking, heads 

 were drooping and nodding, flanks were bleeding and quiver- 

 ing, white horses had turned black, and black horses had 

 turned wkite ; while riders were flushed and dripping, and 

 double-breasted coats had become insufferable. The steed of 

 a noble Hon. Sec, already burdened heavil}^ with the responsi- 

 bilities of office, was now so overcome b}" present exhaustion 



