1877—78.] SUNNY FEBRUARY. 231 



has been, I am glad to add, progressing rapidly towards 

 recover}'. 



On Wednesday, Feb. 13tli, the Belvoir met at Piper Hole, 

 and we may turn to Melton Spinney in the afternoon. One 

 fox awa}^ a second gone, a third in covert — natural confusion 

 and an ill-attended start. This epitome conveys in some 

 degree the aspect of affairs and the position of the field when 

 at last hounds burst away towards Thorpe Arnold. A scent 

 now, certainl}'- ; and grass and a still cold afternoon to assist 

 it. The pack dash oft' towards Melton, glance down a hedge- 

 row to the left, and in two fields are on the Thorpe Arnold 

 Brook — a stream of no size, but of proved capacity as regards 

 immersive and obstructive power. It offers no tempting oppor- 

 tunity now. Its width is small ; but its banks are wideset and 

 sloping ; so a jump must be a compromise between a creep 

 and a fly. " Honour to whom honour is due." Capt. Longstaff 

 undertakes the office of pioneer; and Mr. Farley's priceless grey* 

 lands under him like three hundred guineas. Miss Tumor's 

 brown follows like six huhdred and forty ; and then there 

 ensues a scene of scrambling and falling and shirking such as 

 could only be enjoyed by one whose discretion could allow him 

 to wait and watch. One veteran was raving up and down the 

 bank, declaiming, exclaiming, and proclaiming the right spot, 

 and finally getting in with his horse on the top of him. A 

 second ditto had the "best waterjumper in England," only 

 number one " fell just in front of him." One chestnut horse 

 was struggling out, as a second dropped with broken back be- 

 side him — and the latter belonged, I believe, to a hard good 

 rider who has been already visited with a previous like misfor- 

 tune this season. Meanwhile, hounds were sweeping over the 

 brow ; with the grey and the lady nearest in pursuit ; and so 

 they reached Brentingby Spinney, and pressed on to Freeby 

 Wood — fourteen capital minutes to here. On at once by Wal- 

 tham Pasture for some more merrj' minutes ; past the back of 

 Waltham Village (into whose yawning stonepit one of our best 



* The grey had just been purchased Ly LIr. T. Farley for 640 guineas. 



