1873—74.] A SCURRY OVER THE MELTON COURSE. 109 



From Leestliorpe on Saturday the Cottesmore took time by 

 the forelock, and late comers on the rough side of their tempers, 

 by starting oif to Stapleford Park to the first stroke of eleven ; 

 and before the half-hour, foxes by twos and threes, and rabbits 

 by hundreds, were scuttling hither and thither through the park. 

 But the real business began when a fox went away in view from 

 what is known as the Cottage Plantation on the far side of the 

 domain. The half-mile across the flat was won by the hounds, 

 who issued into the road before the leading horsemen clattered 

 through the stable-yard, and then succeeded half-a-mile of 

 macadam, more in keeping with the chase of the lordly stag. 

 As they neared Laxton's Covert the body of the pack got en- 

 tangled by the park railings, while two couple struck away at 

 lightning speed to the right ; and the run was only saved by 

 the quick and clever policy of Jack West. With a promptness 

 of decision that would have settled the Ashantee question he 

 begged Captain Coventry to gallop on and keep the leading 

 hounds in sight, while he himself extricated the others and 

 followed in pursuit. A cold clear wind and a rising glass had 

 brought such a scent that it was all the former could do to 

 fulfil his mission, though sitting down to ride as if at Aintree ; 

 but he did just succeed, and the huntsman cutting in with the 

 rest of the pack at Berry Gorse, they sped on with unabated 

 fire. Another mile of the deep ground of the Burton Flat was 

 enough to set every horse gasping, and scarcely capable of even 

 the small fences hereabout, for the pace had been absolutely 

 awful. Captain Coventry's horse was so blown by his philan- 

 thropic exertions that, good hunter as he is, he gave him a 

 fall that at least frightened everyone else, if the gallant 

 captain himself made light of it, while the steed lay for five 

 minutes completel}'^ pumped out. This incident stopped most 

 of the leading men, and the hounds flew on almost unattended ; 

 till passing by the lower end of Wheatlands they entered the 

 Punchbowl. The straight line of road running parallel to the 

 chase had now allowed a larger body of pursuers to concentrate ; 

 but the pause here was so slight that there was scarcely time 



