386 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Season 



sharp the pace, when they are asked to follow a route — that 

 nearly reached Thorpe Arnold, bent to the right into the 

 Quorn country (leaving Old Hills just to the right. Cant's 

 Thorns to the left, Wartnaby again to the right) by Saxelby 

 Spinney into Old Dalby Wood, and back to the earths in 

 Grimston Gorse. All this was enacted in five minutes over 

 the half hour — the distant points being close upon five miles 

 apart. The same day two of the Meltonians took rail to the 

 Pytchley at Misterton, and returned saying they had seldom 

 seen a better day's sport. The items are probably set down at 

 length elsewhere in the columns of the Field. They appear to 

 have included a twenty-five minutes from Misterton Reeds 

 round the back of Lutterworth, and a clean kill ; besides a 

 forty minutes ring from Shawell Wood, and a subsequent dart 

 thence over the Stanford Hall country. 



Friday, November 11th, was actually the Day of the Saint 

 afore-mentioned. The Quorn kept it at Rearsby ; and served up 

 a brace of foxes handsomely to his honour. They started fully 

 a leash before them from the little covert of Bleakmoor ; and 

 after half an hour's hard running round Brooksby and Hoby, 

 and amid the commingled difficulties of river and railway, 

 killed a fox of giant proportion on the lawn of Brooksby Hall. 

 A hotter, rosier, field was seldom seen ; but the sun was 

 scarcely over the yard-arm, and the lord of the manor com- 

 plained that solicitation and soda water met with but meagi'e 

 response. 



Chippy and parched, yet moist and melting they were, 

 though, before the chief act of the day was done. The 

 Gaddesby Spinnies again ! A run every time of asking. It 

 was the long narrow plantation creeping up the hillside towards 

 Queniboro', that supplied the event to-day. In single file the 

 field held up one side. Of course the fox went away the other. 

 That first quarter-mile of uphill plough — in dark micertainty 

 — was horrible. Master was round quick enough to stay the 

 foremost skirmishers who could hurry round the second privet 

 spinney. Yes, they are away now ; and you may ride 3'our 



