1877—78.] END OF THE SEASON. 243 



to the covert a horrible ordeal. With a deep cutting reaching 

 to the very edge of the narrow path, the latter have a ditch dug 

 across it, which the field, with fear and trembling, were now 

 forced to jump in single file. 



It remained for Colonel Burnaby's Covert at Baggrave to 

 supply the last little episode of the Quorn season. Hounds 

 were soon at work in earnest, plunging through the short gorse 

 and dashing round its outskirts. Their fox doubled through 

 their midst, to escape with a view holloa beyond — a holloa that 

 to-day had twice the acting jjower of any previous date. The 

 deepest ridge and furrow encircles the covert ; but horses were 

 spurred m and out of it with all the animus of a last chance — 

 all the vigour of a forlorn hope. Firr had got through the 

 covert and was doing all he knew to throw hounds quickly on 

 the line. A shepherd, with his arms round a family ewe and 

 his heart in the hunt, pointed the exact smeuse at the second 

 fence. Wisdom and Fairmaid corroborated his evidence ; and 

 away they sped for South Croxton. A gate offered ; and a 

 loose cart colt promptly blocked it. The Rector (there is only 

 one in each Hunt) crashed over the double-hedge beside it ; 

 and disdained, too, a latchway exit at the fence beyond. The 

 brook came next — deep-banked and awkward — best negotiated 

 at a trot. Hardened and baked by the East wind, the turf 

 resounded like a drum. But there are months before us to 

 cure joints and sinews ; so this is no time to think of them — 

 with the Quorn bitches speeding ahead up the hill. Into a 

 lane ; out of it where a gateway had been feebly built up with 

 rails and thorns ; over three or four well-laid stake-and-bounds ; 

 and yet you were scarcely with the pack. Firr carried them 

 on to a leading couple as he flew three good draw-rails to his 

 cry of " Ware — Horse ! Have a care ! ! " For ten minutes 

 hounds raced ; for a quarter of an hour they hunted. But the 

 scent was fleeting; and after discounting the parishes of South 

 Croxton and Barsby, they were more and more at a loss — till 

 at length the parched ground refused them further favour, 

 and the season of the Quorn for '77-'78 was at an end. 



B 2 



