224 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



In 1901 they went out twenty-nine consecutive times 

 early in the season and never once missed kilhng 

 their fox. They are very handy, very full of drive 

 and of a steady perseverance worthy of all admira- 

 tion. There are often large gatherings on a Cottes- 

 more Monday but never an overwhelming crowd. 

 Even if there were, the big woods, the plough where 

 it occurs and the ditches would soon spread it out 

 and thin it down to manageable dimensions. It may 

 well be imagined, then, in the case of a pack which 

 is accustomed to drill its foxes and be drilled itself 

 in the woods, that, although the coverts may be 

 large, yet no undue time is wasted. Besides, a 

 travelling fox may have come from the Melton side 

 of the country, and so you may find yourself not 

 seldom beginning the day in the woods, but finish- 

 ing it over the best of grass. You may start in char- 

 acteristic Lincolnshire surroundings, but finish over 

 a typical Leicestershire country. When such an 

 event does happen, it is likely to be one of the runs 

 of the season. Of Tuesday I have no need to write, 

 for on that day and probably on Friday the men 

 of Oakham will find themselves meeting the Melton 

 division, and the destinations of travellers from both 

 towns will be the same. On Wednesday the Oakham 

 man will either take a day off or go by train to swell 

 the Pytchley crowd or will (and this is the most likely 

 course) join the Belvoir in that Wednesday country 

 of which I have written already. Thursday is a 

 day when interests are sometimes divided, for, while 

 no one would dream of missing a fixture in the Market 

 Overton country, yet on that day hounds are some- 

 times to be found in the less popular district border- 

 ing on the Fitzwilliam Hunt in the country which 

 some years ago used to be the Wednesday country. 



