216 



THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. 



[Season 



swimmmg the Wreake) lies under one of the elms in front. 

 Old Throsby, in his history of Leicestershire, says " Brooksby 

 Chui-ch has a small spire, one bell, and a decent aisle." The 

 present historian finds it to-day with a broken spu-e, a fallen 

 bell, and a shattered aisle. 



Sport and incident fully marked the day. Even the jom-ney 

 to the covert of Bleakmore and on to the Eearsby Spinneys was 

 unique, if not altogether agreeable, as the towing-path (where 

 double bridle gates occm- every two or three himdred yai'ds) 



was chosen for the passage of a very large field. There were 

 consequently a variety of prominent and interesting con- 

 tingencies open to one, such as being caught in the pau's of 

 gates, pushed into the river, or having one's leg broken by any 

 of the many kickers who at once developed themselves under 

 the opportunity. Then, when a fox broke from Eearsby 

 Spinney, he took a line close parallel to the railway, tempted 

 his pursuers on to it, having exactly calculated his time so 

 that the midday express came screaming in upon them 

 when irrevocably shut in. Firr and three or four others 

 had literally to gallop for their lives ; the woman at the 

 level crossing lost her head, cut oif their retreat, while 

 screaming as loud as the engine ; and the last two men only 



