loo THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Skason 



join in the chase ; and, rushing past the doorstep, upset its 

 mistress right among the hounds. The scene at the moment 

 could be nothing but laughable — the old lady lying on her 

 back in the mud, howling that she would be murdered; the 

 huge pig squealing and grunting as it dashed hither and tliither 

 in an agony of terror ; and the astonished hounds scuttling 

 from the spot with their sterns between their legs. But soon 

 it transpired that the poor old soul had broken her leg, when, 

 in default of a remed}-, a collection was made in mitigation of 

 the injury. 



THE IIANKSBORO' RUX. 



Januauy 20tii, 1S77. 



Am I wrong in saying that tlu' grand gallop of Satm'day last, 

 Jan. 13t]i, Avas as line a run as has been seen in Leicestershire 

 for years ? I may be beyond the mark in classing it thus ; but 

 there are others whose enthusiasm Avill carry them as far, or 

 farther, in their estimate. Come with me, reader to llanksboro', 

 and judge for yourself. Pegasus shall carry you as near the 

 front as he can ; Pegasus at least is never ridden to a standstill ; 

 Pegasus turns his head at nothing ; Pegasus never breaks an 

 oxer ; Pegasus never lies on 3'ou in a brook. AVould that I 

 had a stableful like him ! 



You may or may not have read of the recent Orton Park 

 Wood run, which formed the chief material of my last two 

 letters. Well, the chase of which I am about to tell was un- 

 doubtedly after the same fox, traversed almost exactly the same 

 country, but eclii)sed the former in that everybody got their 

 fan- start and consequent chance, and that the first part of the 

 run was over the better portion of the line. The run of to-day 

 was a crucial test of men and horses, and a splendid sample of 

 what Leicestershire is when a good fox and a good scent put it 

 fairly on its merits. 



At one o'clock on Saturday Ranksboro' Hill was crowned by 

 much the same quality and quantity as had skirmished round 



