276 THE QUORN HUNT 



an eye-witness wrote, almost as great a risk to cross by 

 this bridge as to swim the river ; but all went safely 

 over, and as the hounds luckily came to a check above 

 Rotherby, the foremost of the field were enabled to catch 

 them up before they killed their fox near the Leicester 

 turnpike road. 



Lord Stamford had for seven years hunted the 

 country in such liberal style and so efficiently that it 

 struck " A Notts Fox-hunter " his lordship's retirement 

 should be marked by the presentation of a testimonial. 

 Whether the suggestion did not emanate from the proper 

 quarter, or whether there was some other reason for the 

 apathy which prevailed, the writer has not been able to 

 discover ; but the idea does not appear to have been 

 taken up, and no presentation was then made. 



Lord Stamford's last advertised day was Friday the 

 27th of March, Garenden Park being the fixture. The 

 ground was as hard as a paving-stone, but the wind had 

 veered round to the north ; there was no bright sun, so 

 people hoped that the end of the season might be marked 

 with a run. 



An old dog fox went away directly and, at a good pace, ran 

 as if for Charnwood Forest, by Chartley and the rocky steeps of 

 Beacon Hill, through Ratcliffe, Bradgate Park, under the old 

 ruins and over the brook by Grooby Lake, his point apparently 

 being Enderby. Turning to the left the fox crossed some hard 

 and dusty fallows, over which hounds had to hunt so slowly 

 that every one began to think sport was over for the day. A 

 capital sportsman, however, who lived at Charnwood, viewed the 

 fox ; Lord Stamford blew his horn, and hounds again began to 

 run, the line being through the Sandhills, Bradgate Park, up to 

 Swithland, where, after a run of two hours and twenty minutes, 

 the fox was pulled down near the brook. At the suggestion of 

 Mr. Heygate, M.P., three cheers were given for the master and 

 another cheer was added for Treadwell. Then Mr. Clowes, in a 

 few well-chosen words, thanked the master for the munificent and 

 noble manner in which he had hunted the country for the last 

 seven seasons, and for the sport he had afforded. 



