382 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Seasox 



round the spur — a distant echo of the horn — three fences madly 

 ridden — and the hounds, thank Heaven, only just flashing on 

 the line of a wandering fox. Comforting anyhow — but only 

 the negative comfort of a run not missed. They were not away 

 in the distance after all — vour heart need not have palpitated, 

 your spirit need not have sunk, and you need not have cursed 

 tlie occasion yet. Hounds could not grasp the line one hit ; and 

 here we were beside the new railway, a chasm running under it 

 at right angles, and the huntsman's cast completely cornered. 

 Holloa forrard ! Nilsson's most nightingale note never sounded 

 so sweet. The outlying fox had crossed the whole company 

 three fields back ; the chasm was found to have a loophole, and 

 in another minute hounds were galloped to this second holloa. 

 On the damp sedgej' grass of this undrained valley, they settled 

 down at once to run brilliantl}'. Only a fair scent in tlie morn- 

 ing — a screaming scent now. The Coplow was but a couple of 

 miles away. But wliy should, a fresli fox seek the Coplow ? 

 AVliy indeed, but tlie point suggested itself only too forcibly to 

 half of a good, hardriding field. You can't gallop deep short 

 ridge-and-furrow as easily as the pack can skim it. The rail- 

 way was to the right of hounds, a line of gates a hundred yards 

 to the left of them. So the argument ran. But the fox ran 

 otherwise, and the i)ack curled away from all speculation. One 

 field short of the Coplow it bore to the right, as the railway 

 bent, and headed for (^.uenl)}'^ Hall. If you followed some 

 better genius, and after him were hopping over those neat-built 

 hedges and watery hollows, with every turn in your favour — 

 you yet ran no chance of over-riding hounds as they neared 

 Quenby Hall. Downs was flying the fences nearest to them on 

 the riglit ; Mr. A. Brocklehurst (a new, and worthy, acquisi- 

 tion to Leicestershire) just to his left, with Firr in his unalter- 

 able place. If you kept any one of these in sight, you saw the 

 gallop ; and, following the track of hounds, were led under the 

 railwa}'' by an arch, through a plantation by an eas}^ timbered 

 jump. ('Tis curious how a fox will generally go a rideable 

 line, through the midst of the stifi'est countrv, as if he meant 



