1873—74.] QUICK IN AND OUT OF A FEOSTY LANE. 131 



QUICK IN AND OUT OF A FEOSTY LANE, 



Thursday, Jantary 8th. 



Capital sport and excellent fun again, in spite of the queer 

 vacillating policy pursued by the weather — frost and thaw 

 setting in alternately with equal strength and suddenness. To 

 get to the Quorn meet at Widmerpool Inn on Monday entailed 

 such a pilgrimage of peril, that many usually bold-hearted 

 succimibed on the way. It was only by hugging the hedge- 

 sides that you could make progress at all, the roads being 

 links of the smoothest and most unbroken description, on 

 which your horse would skate for some lengths, then stop and 

 tremble for ver}' helplessness. The turf, however, carried no 

 signs of frost beyond a few thin snow-flakes here and there, 

 while the plough soon softened to the sunshine. Roehoe covert 

 was empty after the death chorus that had stirred its depths on 

 the Thursday previous. Kinoulton was in the unsparing hands 

 of the woodmen ; and then the little field were taken off to a 

 spot that probably none of them had ever heard of — a one-acre 

 plantation called Kinoulton Lime-kiln. A canal bounds two 

 sides of it ; and on the towing-path of this the group huddled 

 themselves, so that rapid exit was impossible. These diminu- 

 tive coverts are what huntsmen delight in — so long as elbow- 

 room is given by the field ; for hounds can slip awa}^ close at 

 their fox, which is nine points out of ten for a run and a kill, 

 at least with the stout varmint of this countr3\ So now a fox 

 was out and away over the Belvoir Vale as soon as the hounds 

 were in. They were away almost as soon as he was ; while the 

 riders were put a hundred yards or so to the bad at once. 

 Kinoulton village was barely a mile awa}^ but as they crossed 

 the road close by it, the fox had gained but afield on the pack, 

 who in their turn had still further improved their vantage on 

 the horsemen — Tom Firr, on a galloper, nearest in pursuit ; 

 Capt. Barker, Messrs. Hassall and Samuda, and Mr. Tittle 

 Gilmour pressing hard to better their positions. The last- 



