1877—78.] PERILS BY LAND AND WATER. 215 



from the moment of last leaving Laxton's Covert no one 

 disimted ; estimates of this interval varying between forty-seven 

 and Jifty-Jive minutes. The precise number of minutes is of no 

 real moment. It was a glorious run — for pace, for time, and 

 for country ; creditable to hounds, satisfactory to huntsman, 

 and delightful to those who rode through it. Find and finish, 

 'tis true, were not two very widely distant points — a measure- 

 ment which many sportsmen will accept as the only criterion 

 of the merits of a chase. But our fox bent his neck only 

 when headed from his course to Eanksboro' as he j)assed 

 Whissendine village ; and again, when dead beat, his last 

 efforts carried him some two miles nearer home. Hounds 

 were never at fault, and never off the line, except in the one 

 instance of lifting them, as told above. 



The only drawback to the day was that Mr. Flowers' horse 

 broke his leg, and had to be destroyed : while a similar fate 

 had befallen Lord Eossmore's mount in the course of the 

 morning. 



PERILS BY LAND AND WATER. 



On Friday, November 16tli, the Quorn gathered under the 

 elms of Brooksby Hall ; the old church, in sight of which 

 Quornites have met for generations past, looking mournful — 

 almost reproachful — under its recent visitation. Some three 

 months ago it was struck by lightning ; and the spii'e, that has 

 been a landmark for centuries, was split, riven, and broken. 

 That the place is more or less one of county interest may be 

 gathered from the following few facts. In the time of the 

 Conqueror it became the demesne of the Countess Judith ; and 

 was held by the VilLiers family for upAvards of five hundred 

 years. Their most notable representative, George Villiers, 

 Duke of Buckingham, was born here. In later times it was 

 the seat of Lord Cardigan ; and "the Dandy" (who died after 



