62 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



and the vision of prospective labours that, after groaning deeply 

 three times, he completelj^ gave in, and, curling himself up, lay 

 quietly down to sleep and rest. Of course there were many to 

 claim that they had been with hounds throughout ; but the 

 most forward and the most candid chanced to see none between 

 them and the pack, with whom, even with the help of easy- 

 swinging gates, they could never hold their own. To conclude, 

 it is only necessary to say that a long time was taken up in 

 trying in vain to find w^hat stragglers had met any one of the 

 three foxes afoot, and longer still to find out if any of them 

 knew a fresh fox from a beaten one. In the end the original 

 object was vainly sought ; and weary nags were enabled to 

 reach their stalls at a comparatively early hour, to drink their 

 gruel to the memory of as severe a day as even this trying 

 season has produced. 



A JUVENILE MATCH. 



On Tuesday March 5th a special from Melton conveyed the 

 whole of the metropolitan rank and beauty to the scene of the 

 Grand Military at Rugby. The Gold Cup was of course an 

 attraction, but by no means the chief one, for in the im- 

 promptu Juvenile Plate centred all interest. Capt. Boyce's 

 Smoke, 19 years (owner), and Capt. Park Yates's Havelock, 20 

 years (Capt. Eiddell), were the only two that came to the 

 post — opinions being divided as to which of the pan- the 

 delicate confession of age applied to. Smoke was looking as 

 gay as when he ran for the credit of the 16tli many years ago, 

 and now won easily — the wealth of Melton being considerably 

 added to thereby. The old horses jumped everything fault- 

 lessly in true hunter's form, and, if the finish was not a very 

 close one, at all events, as an Irish coachman expressed 

 it, " they brought one another along respectable-like." Two 

 days of summer weather brought not only all the county 



