110 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



proved a good pipe-opener for the run of the after- 

 noon. A tough customer was set going from 

 Normanton Thorns, and I never knew hounds run 

 harder than they did on this occasion for the space 

 of one hour and ten minutes. The fox was any- 

 thing but a straight -necked one, the line being, 

 first in the direction of Cotliam Thorns over a 

 stiff holding country as any to be found in the 

 Belvoir Hunt. Farther on it was not so sticky for 

 our horses, though I think the fences are a bit 

 bigger as we ran by Foston, Allington, and 

 Gonerby Moor. We hardly reached Barrowby 

 Thorns when a turn westward took us by Sedge- 

 brook away to Allington, but Mr. John Welby's 

 new privet covert had not grown up strong 

 enough to shelter him, so off he went for a tunnel 

 N.E. side of the village. He was, however, soon 

 bolted, and hounds bowled him over, well deserv- 

 ing his blood, which they thoroughly enjoyed after 

 their very hard day. The way the pack worked 

 from morning to night deserved great praise ; they 

 seldom required assistance, and every hound, except 

 poor Novelist, was up at the finish. Those which 

 I observed most during the run were Dealer, Rebel, 

 Discord, Garland, Gossamer, Gambler, Partner, 

 Patience, Wilful, Wenlock, Dahlia, Careful, and 

 old Saffron." Turning to the Field, under the well- 

 known nom de plume of Plantagenet, we read the 

 following : " The Duke of Rutland and Frank 

 Gillard may be congratulated on the appearance 

 of this season's entry on paper, and the outside 

 hunting world must see much in it to approve of, 



