WEEK AT MARKET HARBOROUGH 89 



sport, while there is always the famous Sheepthorns 

 in reserve. 



This last is an extraordinarily thick little covert, 

 of which I have heard it said that its growth is so 

 close that while the hounds are searching underneath, 

 the fox can run about on the tops of the bushes. In 

 any case it is a difficult covert to draw, but the foxes 

 understand the game and play fair, for they seldom 

 hang long. They go away of their own accord up 

 over the hill under Carlton Clump — a landmark 

 that can be seen for miles — and across to Shangton 

 Holt, which has hardly been worthy of its past 

 fame in late years, or to Noseley. In bygone days 

 from Glen to the Coplow was a common line, but 

 I have not seen or heard of foxes going there 

 recently. 



This brings us to the Friday country, and if Mr. 

 Femie's card should summon you on a Friday you 

 will do well to go. The Quorn will draw away a 

 good many people, and there will be no crowd. Here 

 then you will find the benefits of the provinces and 

 the advantages of Leicestershire combined. Moreover, 

 all the meets are within an easy reach of Harborough, 

 and it is only in the case of an unusual run that you 

 will have far to ride home ; and then you will not 

 grudge the distance. If these hounds have a great 

 run, it will be from Slawston, Glooston, Stonton or 

 Noseley that it will begin. All writers tell how hounds 

 once flew from Slawston to Shangton Holt, a more 

 likely line before these comparatively modem coverts 

 at Rolleston or Noseley were planted. It took them 

 just sixteen minutes to go to Shangton from Slawston, 

 which shows that the pace of hounds has not greatly 

 increased since then. But we had a greater run still 

 in the season 1901-2. Hounds found a fox in Mr. 



