154 THE CKEAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Sr.Asox 



map would deviate but a trifle from the whole course chosen. 

 Lord Carington on the left and Sir Beaumont Dixie on the 

 right made play over the few earlier grass fields as hounds 

 began to settle to their work, and up to Baggrave all the little 

 company Avere in creditable attendance. There was no moment 

 of loitering at Baggrave covert, for hounds took the line 

 tlirough it at once. At the back of the hall they commenced 

 the smartest part of their career, running now as lioimds 

 should do on a scent over grass. It was a i)oint of chance, 

 fate, or instinct that took you into, or kept you out of, the 

 field l)ounded by wliat looked, as you came down u])on it, an 

 unjum])able bottom. There was nothing unjumpable about it, 

 though, exce^jt in the view of a post-and-rails downhill from 

 the rising ground above. Still in riding to hounds first im- 

 pressions,are the strongest, if not always the best (and thus it 

 is that one keen man surpasses another chiefly on the score 

 of (piickor ])crception) ; so this deceptive place was broken 

 through, not jum])ed, and two fields' galloping scarcely made 

 up the gi'ound lost in avoiding it. 



After this many easy pleasant fences and a succession of 

 grass that ofl'ered soft sound landing ft)r horses and no frosty 

 mischief to hounds' feet, brought the gallop up to twent^'^-five 

 minutes — when for the first time they checked, between 

 Lowesb^y and John o' (xaunt. Soon on again, just touching 

 the covert; and out bcj'ond along the ]\Iarfield bottom, which 

 thej^ threaded merril}' to the 'J'ilton liills. AVhen fifty minutes 

 had elapsed reynard stole through the buildings of Mr. Frank 

 Sutton's farm at Tilton not a hundred ^-ards ahead. But his 

 outhouse meanderings saved him. He was seen by an old 

 woman to go on ; but tlie lady under notice kept silence until 

 questioned ; and meanwhile the varmint had stolen on in his 

 struggle for Tilton Wood and life. ]\Ir. Coupland worked the 

 problem out capitally, hit the line out once more, and hounds 

 came to a standstill over a drain in the gully be3'ond, when a 

 sudden holloa forward took hounds and field over Whad- 

 borough Hill, and with a brief quick turn into Owston AVood. 



