i6o FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



do in an up and down country like this. However, 

 I trotted on and presently met the hounds coming 

 back. They had killed their fox near a place named 

 Tilton-on-the-Hill. 



" I trotted back with them, and they all said they 

 never remembered such a hunt. We were about 

 fifteen miles from where we found, but of course 

 hounds had travelled much farther. The hounds 

 slept that night at Great Bowden kennels belonging 

 to the Quorn Hunt, but I rode back to Market Har- 

 borough where I was glad to find that the horse was 

 none the worse, and Jim says that he ate up every 

 bit of his feed, but he does not think I ought to take 

 him out again for a week or ten days. I am very 

 pleased with him, and to think a horse bred in our 



country could hold his own. Lord , who is here, 



offered me 250 guineas, but I could not sell him as 

 he was your gift, and, thanks to my dear father's 

 generosity and good advice, I am not in want of 

 money. If a good wife is far above rubies, a bold 

 hunter is better than guineas in these hunts." 



Mr. Warde's portrait painted by Barraud, on 

 Blue Ruin, a wonderful blue roan with a black head, 

 and with a favourite hound, Betsy, looking up into 

 her master's face, is well known and even now may 

 not seldom be seen in print-sellers' windows. As 

 may be imagined, Mr. Warde found some difficulty 

 in buying horses to carry him, though he had some 

 good ones. Dustman, bought out of a London dust- 

 cart, and the above-named Blue Ruin being perhaps 

 the best. Even when master of the Pytchley, Mr. 

 Warde would never pay large prices, and ;£ioo was 

 quite beyond his limit. He was something of a 

 character and fond of a good glass of port. Several 

 of his witticisms are related and are rather of the 



