1877—78.] TO GROUND IN VIEW. 241 



be a miserable man — as miserable, almost, as if the mare dies 

 to-night ! So drive her through ; and make the best of it that, 

 as you issue from the covert, you can see hounds — like a flock 

 of pigeons in the distance — skimming up the opposite pasture, 

 their bright colours sparkling in the sun. They are heading 

 for Owston Wood. The wood is a mile away, and they have 

 already cleared a quarter of the distance. The great gully 

 behind Withcote Hall is dividing and hindering the earliest 

 mass of pursuers. " 'Tis no use to follow that choking string," 

 you reason in this moment of nervous uncertainty. Hounds 

 are swinging leftwards, and you keep leftwards of the ravine ; 

 for if they turn from Owston Wood you will cut them off, 

 while if they enter it they may hang long enough to let you 

 up. The turn favours you, and without hm-rying you may be 

 with them, as with a wide sweep they come round to touch 

 Launde Wood, and dash on beyond at once. After Launde 

 Wood comes the spii'it and fun of the gallop ; and for the next 

 five-and-twenty minutes you ought to be happy — if a racing 

 pack, a grand line, a decent horse, and a screaming scent can 

 make 3'ou so. Is that a crow flitting up the meadow half a 

 mile away ? Hold your tongue, and hounds will soon tell you 

 as they are running now. Your horse and you must both be 

 quick if you get to the spot nearly as soon as they — and every 

 chirping voice proclaims that indeed it was Reynard and no 

 rook. Loddington is just passed, and left on yoar right, and 

 a great country it is beyond. The farmers have made their 

 fences stiff, but yet such as the fervom' of a quick burst avails 

 to render feasible ; while the conservatism of old ridge - 

 and-furrow turf is a sacred principle here. For a mile or two 

 of this it is a race between hounds and horses — the former 

 scoring a point or two, till their game, pressed to exhaustion, 

 is forced to a sharp curve to the right (just short of Belton), 

 and the turn rather favours horses. Half a dozen more big 

 pastures and then the Belton brook. Yonder he goes ! Not 

 three hundred yards before the hounds, and his now ragged 

 form all curled and drooping ! In two minutes they must 



