1878—79.] THE MASONS OF MELTON. 283 



to kill him ! " Hounds are on liim in a trice — one more 

 difficulty as lie runs the Somerby Park ; then up the gull}' 

 beyond — and they nail him fifty yards from the Punchbowl ! 

 As big as a wolf, as strong as a tiger. The pace beat him. 

 Did you ever see so fine a fox ? Did you ever ride a more 

 glorious gallop, since that from Ranksboro' in '77 ? We have 

 a finish now. We wanted it then. Perhaps we went a more 

 perfect hne in that famous run. But — if I may venture odious 

 comparison — the Ranksboro' Run was all a better countr}'^ ; and 

 there was no fog to blind one to leading hounds. The pace 

 was equal on either occasion. 



I have told the run roughly — probabl}' imperfectl}- — but, as 

 I saw it, from a side line. In my humble judgment, there 

 were, in the fastest part, but three men in it, as men should 

 see a run — if you will accept the definition that "to see a 

 run " means that you are in each field before hounds leave it, 

 and that you only ride a run when 3^ou ride to the sight of 

 hounds throughout. We are often content to do less, and we 

 dislike judging ourselves by so strict a test. In this instance 

 the men most prominent eventually were served by an early 

 turn ; tlie}'^ had a bad start ; they quickl}' got to the front ; 

 and to their credit they made their mark right honourably. 



THE MASONS OF MELTON. 



A FORTNIGHT of almost unexampled sport found its end in 

 the snowstorms which set in on Saturday-, February 22nd, Day 

 after daj"- there had been a good run — on many days a great 

 run. And, if hard riding be any test, men never showed 

 themselves more appreciative. For months there had been 

 none of the routine of six days a week. Of the emiui of over- 

 taxed strength they knew nothing. They had forgotten that 

 such a thing as fatigue could exist ; and to a fall they attached 

 no more terror than to the bugbear stories of childhood. So 

 they rode with surpassing vigour and dash ; and if misfortune 



