880—81.] NEW year's DAY, 1881. 343 



and sHcJi ground, as all you who know the country will confess. 

 To Owston Village Avas a mile, or perhaps two, of small 

 enclosures and quick-recurring fences. Each fence appeared 

 to have one spot in it more tempting and easy than the rest ; 

 and Capt. Stephen seemed quickest to discern and seize upon 

 that spot. As the chase swept on, it passed the very point at 

 which the great Eankshoro' run of '77 came to an end. (How 

 a few years' riding over a country, still more a few years' 

 writing about it, imbues every fence and every field with a 

 memory I) And, by the way, how the actors on our little stage 

 shift, and how quickly ! Scarcely one of those who drew rein 

 then are here to-day. Poor Major Whyte-Melville, Lord Caring- 

 ton, Lord Wolverton (no, his rein was drawn just before, and 

 so was Mr. Tomkinson's), Lord Huntly, Lord Wicklow, j\Ir. 

 Frewen, Mr. Russell, Capt. Jacobson — these made up almost 

 the number who rode through that memorable gallop, and not 

 one of them is hunting here now ! Custance is, if I remember 

 right, the sole remnant of the band — standing forth a memorial 

 of that event as he does of Col. Thomson's famous Waterloo 

 Run. 



But I must get forward with the present. At Owston 

 Village hounds swung to the right for Somerby, ran jiarallel to 

 the road thither for a mile or more, till at the spot where our 

 morning fox was lost, they bore away still more — leaving 

 Somerby Village on the left. Messrs. Cecil Chaplin, Hanbury, 

 Harter, and Capt. Middleton were perhaps quickest and nearest 

 to turn with them, and to land into the Somerby-and- 

 Knossington lioud. The two former jum})ed an uncompro- 

 mising piece of timber abreast into the field beyond ; Capt. 

 Middleton found his way into the same field on the right ; one 

 or two others followed their lead, and the rest snicked the road 

 for the corner immediately at hand. Hounds were running 

 fiercely all this time ; but paused a little on the second hill top 

 after a third road (Somerby-and-Cold Overton) : and the van 

 recovered its strength — jNIessrs. Baird, Blair, Finch, Newton, 

 "VV. and E. Chaplin, Gosling freres, Marshall, and Adair, promi- 



