i 9 4 THE QUORN HUNT 



had in the meantime purchased the staghounds from 

 Mr. Villebois out of Norfolk, showed a good deal of 

 sport around Melton. They had a famous run just 

 afterwards, of one hour and fifty minutes. The marquis 

 was riding a horse called Dusty Bob, for whom he had 

 a few days before given 350 guineas. He rode him on 

 this occasion for the first time, with the result that Dusty 

 Bob gave his master three rattling falls during the after- 

 noon, and died the next day. The distance from Little 

 Dalby to Sykes's Spinney, the two extreme points, was 

 eleven miles as the crow flies. A few days later the 

 staghounds ran a drag from Asfordby to the kennels at 

 Melton, and some practical joker managed to gain pos- 

 session of the drag, which he ran through the streets ; 

 and great was the surprise of the inhabitants to see the 

 hounds rushing along on a scent, when they had seen no 

 animal go by ! 



During the last week in March the Ouorn met at 

 Widmerpool, and in going from Parson's Thorns to the 

 Curate's Gorse, a gate was found which could not be 

 opened. Mr. White led over, and was followed by 

 fifteen men in succession without a mistake. One of 

 those who cleared it was a ponderous German baron, 

 an attache in the suite of Prince Ernest, attired in scarlet 

 coat and blue trousers. It was said that one of his 

 friends had managed to find him a pair of leathers, but 

 no boots were forthcoming into which the baron's legs 

 could be forced, so he substituted his own blue trousers. 

 He expressed himself very well satisfied with the country, 

 and enjoyed his ride extremely. 



The season terminated with a week's hunting in 

 Charnwood Forest, in which fair sport was enjoyed, 

 and the Quornites were cheered by the intelligence that 

 during the following season Mr. Hodgson would hunt 

 five days a week ; his huntsman to go out on three days 

 in the open country, he himself hunting another pack 



