296 THE QUORN HUNT 



In December 1866 the hounds were sometimes out five 

 days a week, and in one week three of the days were on 

 the Donington side. 



On Monday the 24th December there was found a fox which ran 

 to Belvoir; on Tuesday they were running "all day and part of 

 the night " in the Donington country ; on the Wednesday they had 

 what was up to that date the run of the season. An outlying fox 

 found in a field near Breedon Clouds ran thence to Congerston 

 Gorse, near Gopsall, the line being over the Atherstone country. 

 On Thursday Lord Stamford's woods near Bradgate gave the 

 hounds a fox which was not pulled down till he had stood before 

 them for upwards of two hours ; then came an evening gallop, and 

 there was at any rate decent sport on the Friday. On the nth 

 January (Friday) 1867 a hard frost threatened to stop hunting, 

 but after waiting for some time a beginning was made, and after 

 Gartree Hill had been drawn blank some one turned down a bag 

 fox near Sir F. Burdett's covert, so the master caused the hounds 

 to be stopped and taken away to Thorpe Trussells. A fox was 

 soon found near the road, and hounds ran him at quite a fair pace 

 towards Great Dalby, and then to the right undei Burrough Hill, 

 leaving the village on the left. A second fox which was viewed 

 running parallel to the line of the first might have complicated 

 matters somewhat, but the pack stuck to the line of the hunted 

 fox. Leaving Twyford on the right the brook came in sight, and 

 as hounds were then running at a good pace, a few only cared to 

 turn away for the bridge ; but the water claimed several victims, 

 while those who did get across were not very well pleased at dis- 

 covering that the fox had gone back, so that the brook had to be 

 jumped again. Eventually, after running near Lowesby (Mr. Tailby 

 leading the way), up the Newton Hills, to the left of the Coplow 

 and Billesdon, hounds ran tolerably fast to Skeffington, nearly up 

 to Mr. Tailby 's house; the fox was killed in the kitchen garden at 

 Loddington Hall, after a run of an hour and forty minutes. 



In February 1867 the first whipper-in (Philip Tocock) 

 had to go home in consequence of a bad fall, and was 

 not out again for a week. On the first day on which 

 he was able to appear, Stephen Winkworth, the second 

 whipper-in, broke his collar-bone, and then during March 



