MARQUIS OF HASTINGS 297 



there was so much frost, accompanied by easterly winds, 

 that hunting was a orood deal interfered with. 



On February 4th the Belvoir met at Hose Grange, 

 and finding in the gorse, enjoyed a capital twenty 

 minutes' gallop wherewith to begin the day. Near 

 to the New Covert the Ouorn, who had brought a 

 fox from Lodge-on-the- Wolds, were in sight, but they, 

 on seeing the Belvoir, retired within their own boun- 

 daries. The Belvoir found their next fox at the Old 

 Hills, and getting well away drove him past Scalford ; 

 but after running for about a quarter of an hour they 

 again met the Ouorn, who had run a fox from Grimston 

 Gorse, and by some accident the two lines crossed, both 

 packs getting on to the same fox, and for ten minutes 

 they ran hard in the direction of Piper Hole, killing their 

 fox by Goadby Fishpond. Both huntsmen of course 

 claimed the fox, but one of the Belvoir whippers-in was 

 the first to handle him ; the joint packs then broke him 

 up, and separated for home. 



On the 1 6th of that month the Belvoir and Mr. 

 Tailby's were close to one another, but did not clash ; 

 on this occasion neither huntsman brought his fox to 

 hand. 



The run of the season 1866-67, however, may be 

 said to have taken place on the 6th April, when the 

 Ouorn met at Wimeswold. 



Willoughby Gorse and some of the Widmerpool coverts were 

 blank, and it was not until the afternoon that the field found them- 

 selves at Walton Thorns (a covert above alluded to in connection 

 with Lord Archibald St. Maur's shooting). In the Thorns, how- 

 ever, they found a bob-tailed fox which had already twice tried 

 conclusions with Pike, the huntsman, and his hounds, and away 

 this fox went in the direction of Seagrave. At a merry pace the 

 hounds ran on nearly to Cossington Gorse ; then turning to the 

 left and running by Thrussington, Hoby, Asfordby, and then 

 some distance further on, the fox was rolled over close to Old 

 Hills in the Belvoir country. The distance from point to point 



