1881—82.] AUTUMN CONDITION. 375 



under a snn that broiled your nose, and made gross horseflesh 

 to swelter and reel. 



The young Reynard that had made so good a fight was also 

 about wound up as he regained the spinne}', whence he had 

 first started — five-and-thirty minutes since, and never a check 

 in tlie time. He wore his brush for ten minutes more ; but 

 only to crawl the little covert and take one short turn outside. 

 Who iclioop then sounded the end of a thorough day's sport. 

 The field of to-day was, Avith the exception of three early Mel- 

 tonians, purely local, and consisted of some fifty on horseback. 

 It is a pleasure to note that among those riding to hounds was 

 Miss Paget of Eearsby, whose terrible fall of last winter seems 

 to have left few traces. Of the three hailing from Melton, one 

 was Mr. Beaumont, who has returned irom AustraHa with an 

 undimmished love of foxhunting. 



AUTUMN CONDITION. 



What do you say to fortj'-three minutes and a six-mile 

 point over the grass ! Is not that good enough for October ? 

 AVliat would the crowd think of it in February ? AVhat, then, 

 was it not worth to a little field now ? ** A pound a minute " 

 is the proverbial estimate. But where could you go with forty- 

 three pounds in your pocket, and buy one tenth part of the 

 excitement and delight compressed into that ride Avith the 

 Quorn ? 



Friday last, October 21st, was the date — and here are the 

 details. The morning was thoroughly wet ; and the field was 

 of skeleton proportions. There were, in fact, only the follow- 

 ing few, as far as my memory senses me — the Master and Miss 

 Webster, Mr. Cheney, Miss Paget, Lord Lewis, Colonel Chip- 

 pindall, Captain Campbell, Messrs. Beaumont, Parker, Pen- 

 nington, J. Cradock, AV. Markham, O. Paget, E. Miles, AV. 

 Martin, W. Miles, Wade, Watts, Carver, with a very small 

 margin to be covered by the usual terminate etc. 



