70 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



times meet, and that the indicator must be bent on a short cut 

 to the Set Fair side of the question. 



Such a lovel}^ day of coiu'se made the ride to covert pleasant, 

 the meet pretty (if it isn't so in the beautiful park at Newnham, 

 where should it be ?), and companj-- generally as amiable as 

 aldermen. So much for the preliminaries, now for the proceed- 

 ings. There is a little harbour right in the centre of the park 

 (Burton Pool, so called), equally a favourite resort of fox and 

 fowl. Whether they live in harmony thereui, like the lion 

 and lamb of prophecj^, or whether Rej-nard finds enjoyment in 

 licking his chops among the willows while he watches the wild 

 ducks swim about in security — like a hungry m-chin flattening 

 his nose against a confectioner's window — I leave it to the 

 presidmg velveteen to say. Anyhow, as usual, the ducks rose 

 and Eeynard ran ; and to-day being devoted to the chase and not 

 to the gun, the latter individual fovmd that the deHcate atten- 

 tion was meant for him alone. He sHpt at t)nce into the 

 adjoining wood, and disappeared a slight comely youth ; but 

 — as in the case with which we were satiated to nausea last 

 summer — his reappearance was in the shape of a burly giant 

 more fitted to cope with trial and persecution.* Big and 

 powerful he looked as he showed himself across the open. Some 

 little plough and a few light fences ere hounds get on the grass 

 and can swing along in the style that you come to Leicester- 

 shu'e to see. They seem careful of their followers, though, as 

 they get to the end of one of the big bullock pastures near 

 Ullesthorpe, and find a horrid, wire stretched to catch or kill ; 

 but they take the line on without a halt over the railway, and 

 across the ploughs beyond. A more perfect piece of quick 

 hunting was never seen than along their course towards 

 Bitteswell. A mile from the brick kilns there came a holloa 

 to tell of a fox travelling on the right. The field took it up, 

 as they ever delight in the chance of doing ; but not a hound 

 turned her head, nor did Castlemayne do more than encourage 



* Tichborne joke explained for future generations. 



