308 THE QUORN HUNT 



served to keep up the reputation of Leicestershire as 

 the home of hard riders. 



Melton itself was extremely full of visitors, and the 

 principal studs were very strong ; but, as a chronicler 

 of the time wrote — 



A swell of the first water at Melton is not supposed to know 

 how many horses he possesses. There were, however, about 

 twenty-five to the credit of Lord Wilton, Mr. Little Gilmour 

 owned half a score, Mr. Crawfurd sixteen, Messrs. Behrens 

 thirty-five, Messrs. Coupland twenty-five, Major Paynter ten, Mr. 

 Westley Richards thirty, Sir Frederick Johnstone twenty, Lord 

 Calthorpe sixteen, and Lord Royston thirteen, besides many 

 others which fall just short of double figures. 



But in spite of all this preparation for the chase 

 there was a scarcity of foxes in some places. 



A pleasant incident of the opening day of Mr. 

 Musters 's second season at Kirby Gate was the presenta- 

 tion to him of a whip, on the part of the earth-stoppers 

 of his country, in acknowledgment of his liberal treat- 

 ment of them. Sport was rather poor, but the good- 

 will of the earth-stoppers was worth a great deal. The 

 reason given for the scarcity of foxes was the increase 

 of game-preserving in the country, and on Charnwood 

 Forest especially. The fox-preserving question was 

 evidently a serious one, for in December 1869 a meet- 

 ing of the members of the Ouorn Hunt was held at 

 the County Club at Leicester, Mr. Clowes (then M.P.) 

 in the chair. After passing a cordial vote of thanks to 

 Mr. Musters for the manner in which he hunted the 

 country, it was determined that every effort should be 

 made to induce the owners and occupiers of land and 

 coverts to preserve foxes, and, while they were about 

 it, to take down the wire which in some parts of the 

 country was such an annoyance. 



Among the May meetings which took place in 1869 



