368 THE QUORN HUNT 



At Knossington another fox turned to the right, and shortly after- 

 wards the end of the run came in Little Owston Wood, where so 

 many fresh foxes were on foot that it was impossible to pick out 

 the hunted one. 



The Quorn finished the year 1888 with a hunting run 

 of an hour and forty minutes after meeting at Great 

 Dalby. Gartree Hill, the starting-point of the run, had 

 not been drawn since the hounds met at Kirby Gate, and 

 as plenty of rain had fallen overnight, there appeared to 

 be every chance of a good scent ; but the expectation 

 was not more than half realised, for hounds could hunt 

 their fox steadily and no more, except during those few 

 minutes which enter into nearly all hunting runs, when 

 hounds do manage a short burst now and then. Friday 

 the 25th January brought with it a good day's sport. 

 Meeting at Rearsby, there were two short spins, one from 

 Cream Gorse and the other from Ashby Pastures, both 

 ending at the same drain. Thorpe Trussels was then 

 drawn, and a fox found there gave a good run of an hour 

 and fifty minutes. During the remainder of the season 

 several more good runs took place ; and a gallop which 

 came off on Friday, February 7, 1890, from Barkly Holt 

 to Hoby Rectory, is only mentioned because hounds had 

 not run that line for several years. 



On the 21st March 1890, while hounds were running 

 from Great Dalby, a fatal accident occurred which cast 

 a gloom over the whole of Leicestershire, as Captain 

 Barclay, of Scraptoft Hall, the "Toots" Barclay of many 

 friends, was the victim. In the course of the run a high 

 fence into a road was encountered, and the Captain's 

 horse cleared the fence fairly well, but stumbling on 

 landing through his forefeet getting on to an awkward 

 bank, threw his rider with such violence on his head that 

 Captain Barclay's neck was broken, and he was found 

 to be quite dead on some of the field at once going to 

 the immediate assistance of the unfortunate gentleman. 



