1873-74.] KIRBY GATE. 107 



moment of his life — a sentiment that anj'one who knows the 

 persevering earnestness lie has thrown into his work can well 

 believe. This was succeeded by lust}' three times three, 

 which set the horses dancing, and imbued the hounds with a 

 belief that a lot of foxes must be in their midst which everyone 

 could see but themselves. By the way, the present pack is an 

 extraordinary improvement on that of two years ago. But 

 very few of the old hounds are left. Blood and breeding are 

 manifest in a marked degree ; and they strike the eye at once 

 as a fashionable pack. As the day advanced they showed to 

 still better advantage, working in good style and well under 

 control. 



Gartree Hill is by old-established custom the first draw of 

 the season, and the orthodox move was accordingly made. 

 Mr. Hartopp invariably responds liberally to the compliment, 

 and now had three or four foxes awaiting the visit. They were 

 soon away with one in the Melton direction, and the rascal at 

 once placed the blindest and most trappy of fences between 

 himself and the crowd of debutants. Men may conceal their 

 thoughts as much as they like — even to deceiving themselves — 

 but I notice (nor shame to assert) that we none of us drive at 

 our first fence of the season with the dash that a quick start 

 from covert demands ; and some of the best men in England 

 take a whole day or two to shake into their proper form. Add 

 to this that in the present instance it was a matter of purest 

 guess work to determine where the ditch began or the fence 

 ended, which was grass and which were brambles, that horses 

 were pulling riders out of their saddles with the mad freshness 

 of a summer's idleness, and that the jump lay at the bottom of 

 a steep decline, and j'ou can believe there was some little 

 hovering on the brink. Nor did the crash, crash, crash of steed 

 after steed entrapped add extra charm to the situation. At 

 least six were down ; and a perfect feu de joie of muttered 

 prayers ran along the line, as safety was assm'ed only after 

 grievous scrambling. 



The sport was not of a character sufficient to dwell upon. 



