1880—81.] MASTER AS HUNTSMAN. 337 



MASTER AS HUNTSMAN. 



On Friday, Dec. 17, the Quorn had a round of sport from 

 noon till dark — three runs and a galloping scent. A sharp 

 ■wind-frost had whitened the grass and glazed the fallows ; the 

 sky was cloudless, the sun hrilliant, the wind in the north-east 

 — and it looked for all the world as if our old friend of last 

 winter and the winter before was once again upon us in earnest. 

 It was all we could do to get to covert — the meet being at 

 Ingarsby, the residence of that good yeoman Mr. Carver. It 

 was more than we could do to get there in time : and it was 

 lucky for most of us that Hungerton Foxholes was drawn 

 blank to begin with. For though the grass was only crisp on 

 its upper blades, as if dipped in frosted sugar, the roads were 

 hard and unsafe as a polished oak floor — that most dangerous 

 and undignified of floorings. Everyone had arrived, though, 

 by the time the Master had thrown hounds in to Botany Bay. 

 Poor Firr was still writhing at home under the pain of a maimed 

 frame, and that worse agony to a keen huntsman of homids 

 being in the field without him. A quick find, much shouting 

 in the road — and over the mound of the Coplow into the gorse 

 on its southern slope. Three couple of old hounds kept 

 matters moving on across the valley at once — throwing their 

 tongues loudly to call on their comrades, already stra^dng to a 

 fresh line in covert. The ladypack was out to-day, as quick 

 and hardworking a lot as ever took the field. 



Luncheon in Leicestershire is a highly dangerous — if a very 

 tempting — institution, especially when indulged in according to 

 the elaborate fashion of our time. Big gold or silver cases, 

 requiring both hands to hold — while, to be correct, the owner 

 stands dismounted, with legs planted wide apart and manly 

 waistcoat open to the breeze — conduce very largely to both 

 comfort and appearance. But when hounds slip away in a 

 sudden second from one of our small coverts, and said owner 



