1885. 43 



January 6th. — 



At Red Lion, Cheriton, we began to be 

 aware the staff of the B.V. Hounds was getting 

 small by degrees and beautifully less. The 

 Second Whip has been out of sight for some 

 time, disabled b}^ a fall, which has injured his 

 leg. To-day Tom was forced to go home from 

 the meet oppressed by so violent a cold that 

 hounds could not possibly recognise his rate in 

 the gentle whisper which was all he could 

 raise ; while the Master has combined both, a 

 ver}^ bad cold having supervened on a heavy 

 fall. Therefore it was with no very great 

 surprise that we subsequently learnt the hounds 

 would not go out again this week, as, single- 

 handed — " Alone, unfriended, melancholy," but 

 never "slow" — what could Orbell do? This 

 morning it was frosty and the ground hard, so 

 it was not till twelve o'clock that hounds were 

 put into cover at Holbrook, which, with 

 Waddon Down, was drawn blank. But in a 

 little cover — ^Dean's Copse — by the side of the 

 road, they found, and, running sharply towards 

 Elscombe, turned just short, of it and into 



