222 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



riding at it without getting flurried. His haunches are under- 

 neath him and his ears are cocked. Mr. Muntz's great weight- 

 carrier is rushing alongside — giving confidence to you both. 

 So everything is in your favour, save those two struggling 

 splashing horses ; but you are none the less thankful when the 

 hindlegs strike again into firm turf and the water is behind 

 you. Here and there, and ever5'^where for half a mile, are 

 jirostrate riders, rolling horses, swimming steeds, and dripping 

 sportsmen. In thankfulness and with no discourtesy you may 

 leave them to help each other ; for have I not bade you, 

 reader, leap and gallop at the huntsman's skirts. He'll take 

 you in and out of that corner now, to save the deep wheatfield 

 and regain the plough. His eye is on the pack, now bearing 

 parallel to the brook ; timber mustn't stop you ; and j^our 

 blood ought by this time to be heated to even oxer-jumping 

 jDoint. Tell me if you have had to go faster, or have ridden a 

 sweeter line, this year, than in those sixteen or seventeen first 

 minutes which bring you to the railway between Rugby and 

 the village of Hilmorton, where a road cuts under the line of 

 rail. Not very many of that huge holiday field were up at 

 this moment. Captain Osborne had led the scurry throughout, 

 Messrs. Raymond, Townshend, Marriott, and two or three 

 other good men (whose names, I regret to say, are unknown 

 to me), supi)orting him ably and closely. Judge of the pace, 

 when I tell you that after two or three more fields their fox 

 was in view — though the homids themselves failed to catcli 

 sight of him. But he was honest, strong, and bold even now, 

 though panting and faint with the severity of his starting 

 efforts. As he crossed the Rugby and Hilmorton carriage 

 road, some few light ploughs lessened the pressure of the pace ; 

 and so, though there was no real check, he was enabled to pull 

 himself together again, and led them on for Barby. The 

 pastures and the brook of Barby made another fast good portion 

 of the run ; then the chase checked a moment as it turned to 

 the left under Barby and reached the banks of the canal, where 

 the pack was well nigh broken up by a passing barge. On 



