9 o THE QUORN HUNT 



with the hounds close at his brush. Mr. Smith, who 

 appears to have been the only man up, dragged the 

 fox from his hiding-place, and then started off to find 

 his whippers-in. 



Some of the runs chronicled aforetime require a good 

 deal of explanation. Here, for instance, is one taken 

 from a contemporary publication in February 1812. Mr. 

 Smith found a fox at Barkby Holt, we are told, on the 

 20th January in that year. Hounds "ran him hard" 

 for about an hour and a half into Tilton Wood, where, 

 when hounds were on the point of killing him, a fresh 

 fox jumped up, and led them to Edith Weston, where 

 the run came to an end. Horses and hounds were so 

 knocked up that they were left for the night at Cottes- 

 more. " From Barkby Holt to Edith Weston," says the 

 report, "is near thirty miles." As hounds actually ran 

 that may have been the distance ; but in a straight line 

 it is as nearly as possible seventeen miles. It could not 

 of course have been anything like straight, as hounds were 

 an hour and a half in reaching Tilton Wood, six miles 

 from Barkby Holt "as the crow flies." From Tilton 

 Wood to Edith Weston is a distance of about twelve 

 miles in a straight line, but no mention is made of the 

 route taken, nor is the duration of the whole run given. 

 This, however, is but one of many good runs which took 

 place during the season 1811-12, as on one day four 

 horses are said to have died from over-exertion, while 

 several others were not expected to survive ; a statement 

 which, if true, does not say much for the humanity of 

 the old school. 



Mr. Smith's biography affords ample proof that he 

 was accustomed to say funny things at times, and what 

 would be described in modern language as given to 

 put on "side." " He only wants a rider," is one of the 

 sayings put into his mouth in reply to a man who said 

 that he had an ungovernable horse. " Thank ye, but my 



