158 THE QUORN HUNT 



coverts should be cut up, the foxes sent to Belvoir, and 

 that no Meltonian should ever a^ain set foot in his 

 house. Yet somehow or other the next fixture saw 

 him in his accustomed place. Some fancied slight of 

 this kind caused, after years of intimacy, an estrange- 

 ment between Mr. Ellar and Lord Rancliffe ; but the 

 latter, on hearing that the old sportsman was ill, stopped 

 his carriage at his door, sent in a quantity of hothouse 

 grapes, peaches, and other things, and begged once more 

 to shake the old sportsman by the hand. Gladly did 

 Mr. Ellar accede to the request, and the meeting affected 

 him greatly. 



In the course of the season 1834-35 the rumour that 

 Mr. Holyoake would resign the hounds was not long in 

 receiving confirmation, and it was reported that Lord 

 Kinnaird would take them, and give ^"3000 towards the 

 expenses, provided the country made up the rest, but in 

 this case there was a chance of the pack reverting to its 

 old name — the Quorn. Indeed, during Mr. Holyoake 

 Goodricke's last season he took a subscription, Lord 

 Kinnaird being one of his greatest supporters. 



The first day of the season (1834-35) took place as 

 usual at Kirby Gate, but the September and October 

 had been so dry that it was scarcely safe to ride when 

 the regular season began. The cub-hunting time had 

 brought with it only moderate success, and at Kirby 

 Gate the muster was unusually small, though just after- 

 wards some welcome rain fell, when sport very mate- 

 rially revived. 



When runners were invented we know not, but at 

 this time they were well-known appendages to most 

 hunts, and one contributor to a local newspaper, who 

 had previously advocated the publication of accounts of 

 good runs, wrote to that paper drawing attention to the 

 fact that J. Buttress, of Skeffington, who was well known 

 to old Meltonians on account of his having for many 



