1887* 299 



hunting, and went home earl3\ Indeed, this 

 week, hunting has " got small by degrees, and 

 beautifully less;" for on the nth hounds went 

 home from the meet (which was West Hill 

 Gate), and on the 12th it was far too slippery 

 to hunt at Compton Castle ; so the Master took 

 his pack round Poyntington way for exercise, 

 and had the luck to find and kill a fox, without 

 injuring anj^body except him. And he deserved 

 his fate, for hounds fairly wore him down in a 

 race over two fields behind Milborne Port, and 

 then they went home. Other people were 

 walking about with skates in their hands, if 

 not on their feet, and we seem to be beginning 

 a second winter. 



February 14th. — 



The ground was still hard when we met, 

 at twelve o'clock, at the White Post Gate, at 

 Oborne ; for the frost, though never severe, 

 still holds its own. Riding was anything but 

 pleasant, and we galloped cautiously after 

 hounds, when, having found a fox in Holwaj^, 

 they ran him to Sandford and up the hill by 



