190 THE QUORN HUNT 



1 Squire ' or Assheton Smith could do with all their 

 bullyragging." 



It was early in 1840, that is to say, before the end of 

 Mr. Hodgson's first season, that Dick Christian made 

 his celebrated leap, mentioned by "The Druid," on Mr. 

 Coke's chestnut mare Marigold, while out near Holwell 

 Mouth. 



He rode at a thick cut hedge four feet six inches high, which 

 he cleared easily enough, the mare alighting on a bank about a 

 yard wide, with all her four feet nearly together. Directly below 

 this bank was a steep declivity into an old quarry, called Sot's 

 Hole. It was said to be about twelve yards deep. The failure 

 of the bank where Dick had thus suddenly deposited his whole 

 capital must have proved fatal. Luckily it stood firmly, and the 

 mare bounded boldly forward, reaching the bottom in three 

 springs. Dick found himself well fixed in the saddle when the 

 mare reached terra firma, and both steed and rider were perfectly 

 unscathed. Dick is now sixty. The first leap was 18 feet, the 

 second 10 feet 6 inches, the third 10 feet, the fourth 14 feet 9 

 inches; total, 53 feet 3 inches. 



It was probably owing to the interregnum which 

 ensued between the resignation of Lord Suffield and the 

 coming forward of Mr. Hodgson, that caused Melton to 

 be so comparatively empty during the latter's first season. 

 When the opening day came round and the hounds met 

 at Kirby Gate, scarcely any old faces were present, but the 

 master was subsequently well repaid when people came to 

 know of the sport he was showing, though in some parts 

 of the country he was rather short of foxes ; while Lord 

 Harborough, whose father had kept hounds, closed 

 Stapleford Park against hunting men, and not only that, 

 but had dog-spears set all over the place, which would 

 have played havoc with any pack that happened to find 

 their way inside the demesne. 



It has been already mentioned how urbane Mr. 

 Hodgson was ; but he had very decided views of his 



