MARQUIS OF HASTINGS 295 



and West Wilts kennels. Between the Marquis of Hast- 

 ings and Mr. Tailby the arrangement was that the former 

 should hunt the country west of the river Wreake, 

 and that he should also include the old Donington 

 country. For some time there had been a difficulty in 

 connection with Walton Thorns, a covert which, since 

 the doing away with Munday's Gorse, had never main- 

 tained its previous reputation. It would appear that 

 Lord Archibald St. Maur, having some shooting in the 

 vicinity of Walton Thorns, was desirous of renting 

 that covert and some land near it. Lord Archibald 

 declared that if he obtained the shooting he would pre- 

 serve loxes ; but that if he were denied he would kill 

 every fox coming on to his land adjoining the covert. 

 Meantime the owner of the covert declined to let the 

 right of shooting, and so the matter stood for a long 

 time. Who the owner or occupier of Walton Thorns 

 was at this time I do not know, but it is on record that 



At Walton Thorns there were plenty of foxes, and the farmer's 

 wife informed the gentlemen who partook of her bread and cheese 

 that she had been a fox-hunter for four-and-forty years, and had 

 given luncheon to fifteen masters of the Quorn. 1 As for the cubs, 

 she said they might eat everything off the farm rather than she 

 would have them touched, and she dashed into the rides with her 

 gown up to her armpits when the hounds were drawing to watch 

 the " new man " (presumably Charles Pike, a good man in all 

 respects, who remained one season only with the Marquis of 

 Hastings), and to see that her darlings enjoyed fair play at his 

 hands. 



Hunting runs rather than brilliant bursts appear to 

 have characterised the Marquis of Hastings' first season. 



1 Ranking the Marquis of Hastings as one of the fifteen, the old lady's 

 hospitality must have extended back to Mr. Assheton Smith, if we regard 

 Mr. Osbaldeston as two masters by virtue of his having been master twice. 

 If he be regarded as one master only, the fifteenth would be Lord Foley, 

 who gave up in 1807. Forty-four years back from 1867, however, would 

 only carry us back to 1823, the year in which the Squire entered upon his 

 second mastership of the Quorn. 



