MR. J. COUPLAND 345 



through his breaking his shoulder in jumping on to the 

 stump where a tree had been cut down." 



The opening day of 1879-80 saw the Rev. John 

 Russell at Kirby Gate. He was then something like 

 eighty-four years old, and had journeyed all the way 

 from Devonshire to obtain an insight into the hunting 

 countries comprised in Leicestershire. The season was 

 only a few days old when a well-known Meltonian 

 emulated the feat of Mr. Thornton, when mounted on 

 the famous Hercules (who, as John Leech showed us in 

 "Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour," took a draper's shop), by 

 his horse jumping into a tobacconist's. Although much 

 damage was done to the stock-in-trade, both horse and 

 rider escaped injury. 



For some time Mr. Coupland's health had been none 

 of the best, and he had been out of the saddle for some 

 time, but in January 1880 the master had so far recovered 

 as to be able to take the field again, which he did amidst 

 the congratulations of his followers. 



By the year 1880 a good many Leicestershire hunt- 

 ing men had probably forgotten the existence of John 

 Goddard, whose death was announced in September of 

 the above-mentioned year. 



In the following year the Ouorn Hunt lost a very 

 good friend in Mr. Andrew Heseltine, who for so many 

 years lived at the farmhouse adjoining the famous covert 

 at Gartree Hill, Little Dalby. Up to within a few years 

 of his death, no farmer in the country followed hounds 

 with more zest than he did, and for a generation he was 

 known to be one of the foremost hunting men. He 

 farmed under Mr. E. B. Hartopp, and to that gentle- 

 man's honour be it said, when the tide of fortune turned 

 against his old tenant with his increasing years, he gave 

 him a good pension. " Old Andrew," as he was fami- 

 liarly called, was one of the staunchest preservers of 

 foxes in the covert that lay almost at his own door, and 



