EARL OF STAMFORD 271 



going for a bridge or a ford. The field was regularly 

 spread-eagled. 



The fox made his way by the right of Kettleby, as if for 

 Holwell Mouth, and sunset was taking place by the time the 

 hounds reached Piper Hole in the Belvoir country. There the 

 fox might have saved himself, had it not been that a sheep-dog 

 saw him taking refuge under a hedge and at once made for him. 

 The fox was fairly blown, and setting his back against the hedge 

 prepared for battle with the sheep-dog, and while the pair were 

 engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter the hounds came up and 

 finished off the fox. 



No more than a few days later Lord Stamford's 

 hounds were in danger of being run into whilst huntino- 

 on the Midland line, near Ashfordby Station. The 

 master, on seeing an approaching train, made signals 

 to the driver to stop, which he did at remarkably short 

 notice, seeing that neither Westinghouse nor Vacuum 

 brakes were then invented. Lord Stamford at once 

 put his hand in his pocket and liberally acknowledged 

 the good offices of driver and fireman; but, in extracting 

 the necessary amount, the master also pulled out a five- 

 pound note, which fluttered unobserved to the ground. 

 Charles Wells, stud-groom to Mr. Little Gilmour, passed 

 over the crossing and, seeing the paper on the ground, 

 dismounted, picked it up and put it in his pocket, telling 

 Mr. Gilmour, on his return home, what he had found. 

 Through Mr. Gilmour's inquiries the owner of the note 

 was discovered ; but Lord Stamford would not take it 

 back, his directions to Mr. Little Gilmour being to o-ive 

 a couple of sovereigns to his groom, and the balance to 

 the clergyman of the parish for the benefit of the poor. 



During the season 1861-62 Lord Stamford came out 

 oftener, is said to have ridden better, and to have taken 

 more interest in the Hunt than before, and a writer of 

 the period says he was so popular that " farmers rejoice 

 to see him cross their land, and villagers send forth 



