MR. J. COUPLAND 323 



not been such a bugbear to hunting as was once 

 thought it would be. 



In the December of 1871 the untimely death of 

 Lord Chesterfield was announced, and caused much 

 regret in Leicestershire. Some years previously he 

 spent much of his time at Melton, and was known as 

 a bold and hard rider. In those " larkings " which 

 often took place after hunting back to Melton he was 

 frequently a leader, and he amused himself when hounds 

 were not running very fast by jumping some of the most 

 awkward stiles to be found in the Midlands. As years 

 went on, however, he, like Mr. Richard Sutton, rather 

 forsook hunting and took to shooting, while later still he 

 interested himself before everything else in the working 

 of his coal-mines. On one occasion, when he and some 

 companions larked home, he jumped a very formidable 

 stile for a bet, and having won the wager he jumped the 

 obstacle each way again, and dared any of his friends to 

 follow him. On another occasion, after a nearly blank 

 day, some of the Meltonian division started to lark 

 home. From Thrussington they went, as straight as 

 they could make their way, over some of the stiffest 

 parts in the Ouorn country, taking a line nearly parallel 

 with the river up towards Asfordby, then, going between 

 the village of Thrussington and the bridge, the little 

 party rode all together at the brook, close to where it 

 joins the larger stream — a decidedly big jump. Three 

 got in, but the remainder of the band landed safely on 

 the other side, and all of them had to follow the lead of 

 Lord Chesterfield, who took them over the big Hoby 

 enclosures with a clear lead, and reached Asfordby nearly 

 two fields before anybody else. 



Several instances of two packs clashing are on record, 

 and in February 1872 Mr. Musters, who had gone back 

 to his own country in Notts, clashed with the Ouorn. 

 When the latter were within two fields of Cotgrave Gorse, 



