128 The Pyfchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. iv. 



at oue end than out went a noble-looking fox at the 

 other, and Mr. Payne's cheer might have been heard at 

 Brixworth. Passing the lodges and sinking the hill 

 towards Hollowell, he bore to the left, and leaving Teeton 

 and Holdenby behind him, just contrived to reach 

 Harleston Heath, where he saved his brush by getting 

 to ground. "A proper row you fellows have got me 

 into/' was the Master's remark upon receiving the con- 

 gratulations of the half-dozen fortunate participants of 

 the gallop. ^^It's all very well for you to call it a d — d 

 good thing, but it's a d — d bad thing for me, and I shall 

 never hear the end of it.'' Nor was he far wrong in 

 feeling that his good-nature had got him into a scrape. 

 For many a succeeding post he kept receiving out- 

 pourings of heart from those who had had to turn away 

 from so favourite a meet as Stamford Hall ; and on its 

 becoming known that a capital run had taken place on 

 that same day, a perfect storm of reproaches set in. 

 They who were the cause of the offence did their " level 

 best " to bear their share of the blame, and after a while 

 another good run obliterated the recollection of the oue 

 that had been lost. During the whole of this time, the 

 average sport was far superior to what it is now that 

 surrounding circumstances are so different from what they 

 were. A run from " Naseby Covert " or ^^ Tally-ho^' to 

 the ^' Hermitage " or " Brampton Wood " was an event of 

 no infrequent occurrence in those days, and from the 

 stoutness of its foxes, Badby Wood became quite a 

 favourite draw. For two or three seasons ^^ Cank " 

 rivalled '^ Crick "" in popularity, and the Wednesday side 

 was looked upon as safe to produce a good day's sport. 

 The Badby foxes had acquired a habit, on being roused 



