136 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIKE. [Seasox 



and huntsman ; and on this liypothesis mounted upwards. 

 " If he keeps on the low ground," thought tlie luckier minority, 

 " we shall he right ; and if he turns down wind he can only go 

 into the Punch Bowl," so hugged tlie hase of the hill, and were 

 soon rewarded hy the sound of hound-music borne down upon 

 the breeze. In fact, quick as the}' galloped round on to the 

 steeplechase course (this year so frequently serving the still 

 more honourable i)m"i)oses of foxchasing), the hounds were 

 there before them, leading them a converse line over the very 

 fences chosen for tlie spring pastime. Some two dozen men 

 were there in time to settle into a place with them ; and per- 

 haps a moiet}' of these were equal to the task of keei)ing it. 

 So extraordinary was the scent (equally extraordinary, too, 

 that this fox should have strength to face such a gale as was 

 blowing !) that these four couple and a half did the whole 

 burst entirely b^y themselves, witliout even a hover of hesita- 

 tion, and at such a pace that it taxed even " the Doctor's " 

 powers of galloping and sta3'ing to keep within range of them. 

 Apropos of this Doctor, it is a matter of universal concurrence 

 that he ought to be labelled Dangerous ; for, even after this 

 severe run, he employed the afternoon in playing witli such 

 terrific pieces of timber as made your hair almost curl to look 

 at them. Keen to jump as is Custance himself, he makes so 

 light of what to most horses would constitute an impossibilit}', 

 that fond youths are constantly beguiled to destruction in 

 attempting to follow him. In this morning's run he was voted 

 unapproacJiahle — pace, country-, and distance combining in his 

 favour ; though Sir Fred. Johnstone, Col. Forester, and Capt. 

 Smith were running him hard. Capt. Coventry-, Capt. Boyce, 

 and Mr. Samuda were also well to the front ; so was Cajit. 

 Park-Yates for three parts of the distance, and Capt. Gosling 

 for the remainder — the latter and Firr cutting in as the hounds 

 crossed the Burrough and Twyford road near the latter village. 

 Scarcely a straight line was the chase ; but it was over a most 

 perfect country of true Leicestershire type, passing through 

 the Thorpe and Twyford lordships, thence close by John o' 



