188 THE QUORN HUNT 



fairly over a country. It is of course well known that he 

 rode in a brown coat, and a pair of tanned leather knee- 

 caps. The reason he is said to have given for the colour 

 of his coat is, that as he had hunted his hounds before in 

 Yorkshire, he should not like them to see him in scarlet 

 when he was not hunting- them. This, however, is 

 probably only a fable, because Webb certainly hunted 

 his hounds for him in Holderness. 



During Mr. Hodgson's second season, when of course 

 the Donington country was in existence, there appear 

 to have been some neutral coverts, and one day Lord 

 Hastings and Mr. Hodgson clashed in their appoint- 

 ments, each having arranged to meet at Bunny Park. 

 Mr. Hodgson met the marquis before the day appointed, 

 when, each offering to withdraw, it was agreed instead 

 that each should bring ten couples of hounds, which 

 should hunt together, the merits of each pack to be 

 decided upon by some disinterested party. This friendly 

 trial, however, never came off, as a frost intervened, and 

 put a stop to hunting altogether. 



As already mentioned, Mr. Hodgson was exceedingly 

 successful during his short mastership in showing sport, 

 and in January 1840, meeting at Bardon Hill, after a 

 poorish morning, hounds found a good fox in the 

 Outwoods. 



The fox was soon viewed away, going as though over the 

 Beacon Hill, but then headed back, going on straight through 

 the Outwoods, and crossing the Loughborough Road, as if for 

 Garendon. He then changed his course, bearing to his right, as 

 if he would go to Loughborough, and again turning to the right 

 he crossed the road at Loughborough town end. Going on at a 

 killing pace he crossed Beaumanor, through the coverts, not delay- 

 ing a moment, but setting his head straight for Quorn Wood, with 

 the pack close at his brush. Running in view for three or four 

 fields the hounds eventually killed him on the road, within a few 

 hundred yards of Quorn, after an exceedingly fast thirty-five 

 minutes, during which the hounds ran away from the horses. 



