1/2 The Pytchley Htint, Past and Present. 



Quitting this on the opposite side, he crossed the Har- 

 boro' road, traversed Shipley Spinney, and on up the hill 

 towards Clipston. Here the pace began greatly to im- 

 prove, but Dick Roake, having viewed what he thought to 

 be the hunted fox going another way, blew his horn, and 

 for awhile some of the field were here thrown out. Two 

 fields further on, Mr. Thomson fell at a bullfinch, and 

 losing a spur, stopped to pick it up : this lost him a 

 place which he did not recover for some time. Running 

 on without a pause, the hounds passed the spinney be- 

 tween Oxenden and Clipston, leaving the former village 

 on the right. A slight hesitation took place opposite Mr. 

 Kirkman's house, but the scent was soon hit off, and 

 crossing the bottom at Farndon, the hounds sank the 

 hill towards Lubenham into the Harboro' road : they then 

 raced down the big field, and crossed the Welland at the 

 Harboro' corner. At the Harboro' and Lubenham road 

 they turned their heads towards Bowden Inn, running 

 hard, with the result that "grief was spread around." 

 Birch Reynardson here fell at a nasty fence and was 

 left in the ditch, and the Master was reduced to a trot. 

 A whistle behind denoted the approach of Dick Roake, 

 who, on coming up on ^' Usurper," said " Take my horse. 

 Sir; he has about ten minutes left;" but a regular 

 '' buster" at the succeeding fence proved that his late 

 rider had not laid his account with the difference of weight 

 between himself and his Master. Mr. Thomson, however, 

 caught the hounds again at Bowden Inn, where they 

 paused for a bit on a ploughed field. The rail was 

 crossed to the right of the Langton Road, and from 

 thence the hounds made down for the brook, pointing to 

 Langton Caudle. Custance, the jockey, who had had 



