270 THE QUORN HUNT 



themselves into a committee to place things on a better 

 footing. In Mr. Day the committee had a valuable 

 coadjutor, as he had previously for many years looked 

 after the coverts. Cream Gorse and Barkby Holt 

 needed money to be expended upon them ; and it was 

 agreed that sundry alterations should be made, including 

 the planting of a gorse of ten acres ; while some coverts 

 were doomed, including Munday's Gorse, which was done 

 away with, as in some places coverts were thought to be 

 too near together to improve the chance of enjoying a 

 straight-away run. This new broom promised to sweep 

 very clean, but it was not effectual in keeping Lord 

 Stamford at the head of the hounds for more than a 

 short time longer. 



In February 1862 the master appears to have been 

 again troubled with unruly fields, and on one occasion 

 took his hounds home ; but the sting was somewhat 

 taken out of the rebuke by the fact that the day was far 

 advanced. The hounds had met at Beeby, and after a 

 disappointing day they drew John o' Gaunt late in the 

 afternoon ; found a fox, and from the manner in which 

 hounds ran in covert and in a short ring in the open, it 

 appeared as though scent had improved and a gallop 

 might take place after all. Unluckily, however, the 

 field were so elated that they greatly interfered with the 

 hounds ; so Lord Stamford ordered the hounds back to 

 kennel, and declared that he would not hunt that side 

 of the country any more during the season. In this 

 particular, however, he relented, and did go there again. 

 When meeting at Barkby they had a good run from 

 Thorpe Trussels, the fox leading them over the swollen 

 Wreake. Following the example of the fox, Lord Grey 

 de Wilton plunged in and emerged safely on the other 

 side. He was followed by Captain Williams, who, before 

 makinor the crossing, handed his watch to a friend, 

 thereby taking it for granted that the friend intended 



