102 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



country. Only three or four were up at the end, and 

 among them was not the gentleman from Leicester- 

 shire, to whom, when he appeared, Mr. Canning said, 

 raising his voice to its highest pitch, " Now, Mr. 

 Hawkes, can Warwickshire show a run ? " 



Writing of the same run, Nimrod, who knew the 

 country well, tells a story which narrates no uncommon 

 occurrence and amuses by its appeal to our common 

 experience. " We had but two momentary checks, 

 and all but the first mile was over grass. There was 

 a very hard riding gentleman out on a new purchase. 

 ' A superior horse,' he said at the first check, and 

 certainly he went right in front five miles farther and 

 checked in the middle of a large cow pasture. ' D — d 

 superior horse,' said my friend, patting him in the 

 neck. ' Don't be in a hurry, it is not over yet.' In 

 fact, I spoke from appearances. I had just heard 

 him rap the top bar of a stile in a rather alarming 

 manner. After the run was over the owner of the 

 superior horse was inquired after. He had last been 

 seen some miles in the rear leading the superior horse 

 down a lane." The moral of this story seems to be 

 that as the horse had got so far, he was a very superior 

 horse, but in very inferior condition. 



Friday, too, with the Atherstone close to Rugby is 

 a day in which sport is sure to be over a delightful 

 country, " It holds a good scent, is easy and gentle- 

 manlike to cross, and the Leicestershire side is very 

 good indeed." So wrote Nimrod, who once lived at 

 Bilton, close to Rugby, and what he then said is as 

 true now as it was then, save that the London and 

 North-Western and Great Central Railways run through 

 it and so far hinder sport, for railways, even if they do 

 not confuse the foxes, are a hindrance and a danger 

 to hounds. No master can be free from anxiety 



