1877—78.] KIKBY GATE, 1877. 201 



the youthful represeutative mentioned above, there came from 

 Melton Sir Beaumont and Lady Florence Dixie, Lord James 

 Douglas, Sir John Lister Kaye, Sir Meysey ThomiDson, 

 Colonel and ]\Iiss Markham, Captain and Mrs. Candy, Captain 

 and Mrs. Stirling, INIr. and the Misses Chaplin, Captains Boyce, 

 Middleton, Wingfield, Smith, and Brocklehm-st; Messrs. F. 

 Behrens, Younger, Frewen, Parker, L. Flower, and the most 

 evergreen of hard riders, Mr. Grey. Lord Castlereagh was 

 there from Keythorpe, Lord Manners and Miss Manners from 

 Quenby, Captain and Mrs. Clayton and Captain Jacobson 

 from Oakham, and Mr. Powell from Billesdon ; while of local 

 residents Mr. Coupland, the master, of course was present, 

 and with him Miss Webster and Mrs. H. Webster. Among 

 many others there were Sir F. Fowke and Mr, F. Fowke, of 

 Lowesby; Captain and Miss Hartopp, of Dalby; Colonel 

 Burnaby, of Baggrave; Mr. Cheney, of Gaddesby ; Mr. Brooks, 

 of Barkby ; Miss Paget, Mr. and Mrs. E. Chaplin, of 

 Brooksby ; Mr. Hassall, of Bearsby ; Captain King, of Kirby ; 

 Messrs. Craddock, E. AVarner, L. Johnstone, and wortlij^ 

 sportsmen and sportswomen to an indefinite number. 



From the meet to Gartree Hill, the orthodox and accepted 

 draw, is an honest and not altogether unpleasant three miles 

 — honest at all events as regards distance, and pleasant very 

 if you are diplomatic enough to secure a desirable place in the 

 caravan. To change your company in the narrow lanes is an 

 impossibility, though here and there in the route an open field 

 may grant you a variety of companionship if you wish it, and a 

 let-off to 3'our liorse's exuberance. It might have been May as 

 to weather, and there was certain!}- all the romping hilarity of 

 a May day evident in the boisterous eager steeds. 



Gartree Hill reached at last. There was, as on like occasions 

 for years past, the summit crowned with a black mass of 

 sympathetic foot-people, who, from their point of vantage, 

 commanded, not only the covert that slopes down its side, but 

 the level plain that, in the full ugliness of plough, stretched 

 away to the left, and in the full beauty of grassy pasturage 



