300 THE QUORN HUNT 



left, and was replaced by Thomas Wilson ; while both 

 whippers-in were changed. In the autumn of 1867 the 

 Marquis of Hastings removed the kennels to Donington 

 for reasons which no doubt seemed good to him, but 

 which were not quite understood by the Quorn hunting- 

 men. 



In December 1867, after some bad weather, the 

 hounds met at Barkby, and found in the Holt after 

 being for a long time in covert. The fox went away at 

 the lower side, and after the hounds had been running 

 for about five minutes, Lord Charles Ker broke his leg 

 through his horse falling in a lane ; while only a little 

 further on the second whipper-in was considerably in- 

 jured by his horse falling with him, neither accident 

 having occurred at a fence. Barkby Holt, indeed, es- 

 tablished a character for being unlucky, as during the 

 season two more good sportsmen broke their legs near 

 this covert. 



About Christmas time it became known that the 

 Marquis of Hastings would give up the country at the 

 end of the season. So many lives of the marquis have 

 been written at different times, and he has been the 

 subject of so much blame and obloquy, that one naturally 

 is unwilling to add to the disparaging remarks already 

 made ; but in attempting an outline history of the 

 famous Ouorn Hunt it is impossible to avoid saying 

 that as a master he was not a success. He had no real 

 love for hunting, and he was busied with racing- matters. 

 Punctuality, alas ! he never thought of, and it was no 

 uncommon occurrence for him to keep the field waiting 

 an unconscionable time before he arrived, and then 

 he would often leave the hounds early to go off to some 

 race-meeting. 



On one occasion Mr. Sothern, the actor, who when 

 playing at Birmingham never missed an opportunity of 

 hunting with any pack within reach, once took a horse 



