242 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



surely have him. Over the hrook they dash — blood in 

 every note. But at the very spot where we saw him 

 struggling on, their heads are up. The Belton brook is ill 

 to jump and difficult to ford, hereabouts. Sir Beaumont Dixie 

 finds a place to lead his horse up the bank, but it takes Neal a 

 minute or two to attain the other side. The n-ho-ivhoop sounds 

 — not over Keynard's mangled carcase, but over the sanctuary 

 he has found — the same drain that gave him rest a month ago, 

 close to the new Belton viaduct. Something between fifty 

 minutes and an hour was the run — the last twenty-five being 

 of highest grade. Of those who rode the gallop three were 

 ladies — viz., Lady Florence Dixie, Mrs. Candy, and Mrs. 

 Adair — the last-named being quite one of the nearest to 

 hounds at the finish. The men were, perhaps, thirty in 

 number, prominent among them being all the Goslings who 

 hunt in this county, cheered on, as was meet, by the Colonel 

 at their head. Sir Beaumont Dixie was right well carried by 

 Musketeer; and I believe I am right in saying that Lord 

 Manners, Mr. Leatham, Lord Castlereagh, Captains Barclay 

 and Ashton, and Mr. Adair were among the number close to 

 hounds throughout. 



END OF THE SEASON. 



The byeday on Monday (April 8th) was a last efi'ort of the 

 Quorn ; and, appointing one o'clock as the hour, they first 

 brought attention to bear upon Mr. Barclay's well-spread 

 luncheon table, at Scraptoft Hall. Half a hurricane was 

 blowing all day, and through this hounds drew in vain through 

 the Coplow and John o' Gaunt. The former of these coverts 

 has been the staunchest of allies all the season ; but even this 

 could not hold out for ever, under the repeated demands made 

 upon it. John o' Gaunt is the central point of a junction of 

 two new railway lines, and forms the Sunday resort of a goodly 

 body of navvies, whose intrenchments akeady make the passage 



