1878—79.] THE BELYOIll AT HOME AND ABROAD. 2G3 



comLinate word of which old and u-ild are the components. It 

 is old because it has never been found worth while to redeem 

 it from its original primitive culture ; and it is loild because it 

 is too poor and weak to tempt civilisation. There is an errant 

 population scattered over it, of the Afredee and Momund 

 description — and the whole tribe was turned loose on this 

 Martinmas Monda}-. That the}' should seek to eke out their 

 holiday' in connection with foxhunting is a point on which Ave 

 give them our fullest sympathy. And we held a Martinmas 

 Fair round Roehoe. But there was a honnc honcUe left for the 

 afternoon ; and the men of Melton wetted their lips in antici- 

 I)ation. " The Curate " was known to be full of foxes ; and 

 was to be drawn when Firr had done his duty by the stranger 

 offspring of the more " old-fashioned sporting plough." (What 

 a hateful adjective is that "old-fashioned"! An "old- 

 fashioned " run is to us of the " new fangled school " as hateful 

 as an obsolete bonnet is to a woman. It means something 

 dowdy, detestable, and out of date. "We don't hunt on the 

 same lines as our ancestors ; and, thank Heaven, we don't 

 X)retend to. AVe don't rise when a fool of a cock gives the 

 signal ; but prefer to use our own judgment, to find our fox at 

 a rational hour, rather than drag up to " his lair in the " chilly 

 dew of the " morning "). The plough was not done with till 

 three o'clock ; and at last a move was made for the promised 

 Curate. " Twenty minutes across to Dalby Wood wouldn't be 

 a bad thing ? Even a scurry to Willoughby would do ! while, 

 if we have luck we might drop in for an out-and-outer over the 

 Vale ! " Second horses are only just mounted, and we didn't 

 expect much fun in the morning ! So let us to The Curate, 

 full of confidence and hope assured. Well, they have been very 

 smart in sending the whips on. There's a cap at every corner. 

 Establishments fully manned — and alive to their work too. 

 That's how we like to see things done. But hullo ! a horn too ! 

 A whisper — a solemn awesome whisper sneaks into our ears. 

 The Belvoir arc in tJte Curate! Our last draw for the day, 

 and Gillard hard at work scattering the litter, till his own fox 



