1881—82.] GRASS AND WATER. 379 



110 longer wluit it was. But patience, and a thorough trust in 

 the leading hounds, carry the huntsman through ; and so, 

 Avithout any absolute check, the pack break again on to the 

 grass, and speed away as cheerily as ever. Horses have just 

 caught their second wind — while smoking and steaming for 

 those few moments to give hounds room in the lane. Covert- 

 coats are soaked abominations, no longer keeping out the rain, 

 but excluding all air from the wearer, and adding several 

 pounds' weight of tophamper to a horse's burden. 



Adam's Gorse is left two fields to the right ; and the Melton 

 Steeplechase Course is cut clean across. Each eye is strained 

 over the green heights of Burrough Hill and the rising ground 

 on either side, to catch a glimpse of the quarry that surely 

 must be sinking now. But no sign of him is to be made out ; 

 and hounds touch the road just under the village of Burrough- 

 on-the-Hill, to cast and feather round in difficulties. Again it 

 is steady road-work by some of the more accomplished old 

 matrons ; and again they leave the road, to drive right up into 

 Burrough Village. And here their fox has crept into some 

 outhouse, drain, or other place of refuge — a place of security 

 that he must have known well and depended on heartily, or he 

 would never have faced the wind for such a distance and at 

 such a pace. Every possible point of exit from tlie village is 

 carefully " made good," and nearly an hour is spent in rum- 

 maging for his hiding-place. But all to no purpose ; and a 

 gallant fox, if he recovers the strain of such a journey, may 

 give us that beautiful line again. 



GRASS AND WATER. 



A DELIGHTFUL day of sport was Friday, November 4th, with 

 the Quorn — such sport as 5'ou come to the Shires to see, and 

 can see nowhere else. You may find as thorough foxhunting 

 elsewhere ; you may go over more gi'ound — and sometimes 



