i886. 275 



December 7th. — 



We met at Five Bridges, and found quickly 

 in the Fifehead Withybed on the River Stour. 

 Our fox went for the Fifehead Covers, over one 

 of the West Stour farms, heading for Donclifife, 

 and he ran us out of scent behind Pennymore 

 Pit. Several falls marked his career so far, but 

 none were serious, happily. The little gorse in 

 front of Fifehead, and also, oddly enough, all 

 the Nyland Covers, were blank. We then went 

 to Lady Theodora's Gorse, and hounds were 

 scarcely put in before a fox was viewed going 

 away. Brown clapped the hounds on, and we 

 went away at score, and had fifteen minutes as 

 pretty as any one could wish to see, almost 

 straight for Stalbridge town. Here he began 

 twisting, and took us down to Prior's Down, 

 and out again directly towards Gibbs's Marsh, 

 and then he bore back left-handed almost to 

 Landshire Lane again, before he made his final 

 point back to Prior's Down, thus giving us an 

 opportunity of trying our horses over every 

 possible brook and every kind of fence. In 

 Prior's Down he meant staying, and the scent. 



