1877—78.] A SCENT ON THE PLOUGH. 207 



and through the coverts of Bunny, and drove him over the 

 open park. With hanging tongue and drooping hrush he 

 made for the lodge gate ; looking up helplessl}^ almost pro- 

 testingly, at the farmer, -who had only to trot alongside of him. 

 But the softest of us are bloodthirsty at sucli a moment. It is 

 the end of a fair fight ; fox and hounds are the contending 

 parties; we have cast in our lot with the hounds, and their 

 victory is at the moment the death of a common foe. The 

 master reserved the head, a proud trophy, to the honour of 

 his pack; Captain Middleton pocketed his brush; Major 

 Kobertson carried off a pad, and the three others were quickly 

 seized by one or other of the little party. I may be omitting 

 someone ; but I may name (in addition to FiiT and Fred the 

 wliip) Captain Sherbrook, Lord James Douglas, the two 

 Messrs. Story, Messrs. S.ykes and White, Miss Paget, Captain 

 Campbell, and Mr. Martin, as close up. The distance from find 

 to finish of the run was eight miles of direct measurement. 



But the morning, too, was all fun, and varied fim — in a 

 fau-er arena, moreover. Eatcliffe-on-the-Wreake, it should be 

 told, was the meet ; and footpeople b}^ hundreds, and lurchers 

 and terriers by dozens, assembled to see Cossington Gorse 

 drawn. They were a manageable mob, though ; and so a good 

 fox was allowed to cross the road in view of all, and to set his 

 mask for the Hoby country, which I have aforetime belauded 

 so often. Hounds did not get away on good terms ; but in 

 four fields they appeared to be settling to run, and then the 

 Eagdale Bottom blocked the way — a great hair^^ cavernous 

 ravine, the banks of which were lost in brushwood and rank- 

 growing grass. New-built drains intersected the approach and 

 prevented anything like a direct charge, though tliere were 

 those out than whose rush the tread of angels is not more 

 daring. FiiT scrambled in and out where the lately-laid pipes 

 cut into the main gulf, and in a style that would have delighted 

 Captain Thomson's heart. Captain Smitli, ]Mr. Grev, and Mr. 

 AVarner got a clean and successful run at it a little lower on 

 the right ; Captain Candy found a clever place to the left, and 



