158 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



I was going to tell you of the run we had the other 

 day. I rode the big horse out of Peeping Jane you 

 gave me ; he was very restive and pulled very hard 

 at first. They found a fox in a wood called Marston, 

 which is on a hill looking over a very fine valley 

 towards Mr. Assheton Smith's country. Well, the 

 hounds were soon in full cry in the wood and presently 

 I heard a halloa. I was glad to see hounds running 

 well, for I can tell you I could not have held the 

 horse another minute. We crashed through a big 

 overgrown hedge — they call them bullfinches about 

 here — you can't jump over them, but put up your 

 arm and go as fast as you can and the pace and your 

 weight carry you through or else a branch catches 

 the horse and then you fall. Several men did fall, 

 but the horse is a big bold fencer and he went right 

 through, but I lost one spur, though I did not know 

 this till afterwards. 



" Well, we galloped on, hounds in full cry, down 

 into the valley and crossed the road just below a 

 village called Theddingworth, then we came to some 

 steep hills with covert on the sides called Laughton 

 Hills and so by a village named Foxton, a good name 

 too for a Leicestershire place. There were some 

 stiff fences here, and I had a fall at one, an ox-rail 

 about four feet on the far side of the hedge and ditch 

 just caught the horse's legs and he rolled over. Luckily 

 I kept hold of the reins, and we were soon going on. 

 This fall knocked the wind out of us both and we were 

 some way behind, but I rode the horse steadily, like 

 you told me to after a fall, and a very good thing 

 it was I did, for the run was a long one. Luckily, 

 hounds were not going very fast, but just hunting 

 along. You could see them, and what a good thing 

 for sport it is to have hounds that will put their noses 



