224 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



not been slackened nor the pressure eased, except for one very 

 brief interval, since cubhmiting; and men are not prone to 

 add to their stables when once many-fingered Christmas has 

 lioked its reminders into theu' mental ribs. 



A balmy rain had fallen all Smiday night, and on Monday morn- 

 ing the Quornites assembled once more in what is essentially 

 their ' ' home country. ' ' A Friday with them is genial, stirring, and 

 sociable. They invite all the world to join them ; and very few 

 of the world send excuse. A Cottesmore Tuesday is the same. 

 Boisterous is the fmi and glorious the crush on both days. But 

 a Quorn Mondaj^ is quieter, more rational, and often more pro- 

 lific of sport than either. The field is smaller. It consists 

 almost entirely of men associated with, or attaching in some 

 measure to, the Hunt. The instincts of jealousy or compe- 

 tition have little call for play. Over-riding is at a minimum ; 

 for men are not ever afraid lest the surging crowd should hem 

 them in or crush them irrecoverably out of their place. Hounds 

 of com-se, get a better chance, the huntsman fair play ; and 

 pursuing sportsmen do not ride in continued tremor of losing 

 their turn, or that that turn should be too late. On such a 

 day one can, if not appreciate, at least make allowance for, the 

 feeling of some few Hunts which prefer that their sport should 

 be only for their own members, and are jealous of the stranger 

 or the new comer. 'Tis on such a day that one may, if one 

 wishes, mark and learn something of the individuals of the 

 pack ; and so, for that matter, — whether they wish it or not — 

 do men learn something of each other. Good qualities are 

 more marked, peculiarities become patent, idiosyncrasies betray 

 themselves, imposture is dispelled, and friendships are made. 

 To sift and winnow the Quorn field for readers' benefit is not 

 my desire, nor in my power. This I may say, that contact 

 with it under such conditions is ever a soothing process, and 

 one that clears away all ill-feeUng towards one's fellow-men. 

 The Quorn field has its dandies, its jesters, its purveyors of din- 

 ner and after-dinner stories, its thrusters, its men of caution, 

 its ardent sportsmen and its slack, its dauntless pioneer to show 



