1880—81., SNOW SKIRMISHING. 359 



For tlie Queniboro' brook, easy in some places, is here a deep cut 

 undercurrent, winding its sluggish way between high rotten 

 banks, with overhanging bushes blocking many of the most 

 desirable points. In a word, the facilities it presents for 

 getting into it are held quite on a par by the difficulties of 

 getting out — and before the bridge was built both used to be 

 made patent almost every week. 



There was little thought of the snow now — though under a 

 change of wind it was melting fast and balling hard, and the 

 snowballs flew about dangerously as the field swept over the 

 meadows to Barkby Holt. In spite of doubts and drawbacks 

 there must have been some seventy or eighty horsemen out, 

 at one time or another of the day. Melton was represented 

 by every degree of attire, from complete orthodoxy to walking 

 trousers, the latter being the undress of a party of disbelievers 

 on hacks, who yet had not been able to refrain from keeping 

 then' heads towards the meet. So there was quite a field of 

 riders with hounds, as the latter entered the Holt, while the 

 former foolishly galloped round to anticipate an exit on the 

 other side. Thus as hounds twisted short in covert with either 

 their own fox or a fresh one, only Captain O'Neal was there 

 to leave with them on the Barkby side — when with fresh vigour 

 they struck forth again, almost in the direction from which 

 they had come. All that could now be seen by the cavalcade 

 toiling in the immediate wake of the huntsman was a bev}" of 

 dark spots flitting over the snow in the distance — like gulls 

 under a storm cloud and over a bright sea — and a grey steed 

 carrying a mufti-clad figure over fence after fence. Thus they 

 pursued over one of the Barkby Lanes and iiito the Queniboro' 

 Valley beyond. Here one and all pulled up short at a single 

 stout and high rail fixed firmly in a greasy gateway. There 

 were hoof-marks up to it, and hoof-marks beyond — and the 

 Captain was on for'ard. So proof was not wanting that it was 

 jumpable. Yet there was a general puU-up ; and a howling 

 appeal to a venerable labourer to pull it down. The old man 

 fumbled hard at the offensive barrier, but not a bit would it 



