196 THE QUORN HUNT 



for the sake of pleasure. Great, however, was his 

 astonishment on being told, " I saw your horse at five 

 o'clock this morning, got him on his legs again, and 

 have since ridden nearly sixty miles, and I hope to ride 

 as many more to-day with your lordship." He remem- 

 bered Mr. Meynell and the Meynellites, and he had 

 enjoyed the confidence of almost every master of the 

 Quorn. 



Mr. Hodgson's hounds showed some excellent sport 

 during the season of 1840-41, although frost put a 

 stop to a good deal of hunting ; but this, on the whole, 

 was a benefit, as for some reason or other there was a 

 great deal of disease among horses in Leicestershire, 

 especially in Melton, during the season, and the affection 

 is said to have been analogous to pink-eye, which has 

 ravaged stables in later times. The concluding months 

 of the season were extremely favourable, and Mr. 

 Hodgson closed his career as master of the Quorn on 

 Wednesday, March 31st, by meeting at Kirby Gate. 



There were only a very few people out, not more than a dozen, 

 among them being Mr. Assheton Smith, Lord Forester, and 

 Goosey, the huntsman to the Belvoir. The first fox was found 

 at Gartree Hill, and gave a very fast run to Stapleford Park, 

 where they were stopped, the time being twenty-five minutes. 

 Then crossing the Wreake a fox was found at Sir Harry's Gorse, 

 near Sysonby, crossed the Melton and Nottingham road near 

 Melton Lodge, and went north by Waltham. Eventually he ran 

 to ground, and was killed one hour and forty minutes after the 

 time of finding. 



Early in the year 1841 Mr. Hodgson decided to 

 resign, a determination which surprised a good many 

 of the Leicestershire hunting men, but the fact is that 

 the country did not suit him. Among the dykes of the 

 East Ridine he had been accustomed to see these 

 hounds, of which he was so fond, hunt a fox by them- 

 selves with scarcely any interference, while the Holderness 



