SEASON 1877-78 117 



dispelled my fears, saying that he had lifted many 

 a heavy cart horse or bullock in this way out of 

 the stream with his little light nag mare, and until 

 he had choked the life out of them to prevent 

 their struggling it was well-nigh an impossibility 

 to lift any horse safely out of a deep water-course. 

 It turned out all right ; Tom Chambers came back 

 with my other horse, just as Wing came to life 

 again little or none the worse, though I sent him 

 back to Belvoir stables." 



Interest attaches itself to the events of March 

 29th, when hounds met at Weaver's Lodge, for it 

 was the only day this season the Duke was able to 

 hunt with his hounds on the Lincolnshire side of 

 the country. The pack were lucky enough to 

 score a really good hunting run, which was quite 

 unexpected in such dry weather. As was his wont, 

 the Duke took up a position at the down-wind 

 corner of Newton wood, for he delighted to view 

 the fox away. There were no less than two and a 

 half brace in the covert, and Gillard with the Duke 

 viewed two brace away whilst they listened to the 

 pack running hard in the wood with number five. 

 When at last he did break, with hounds close at 

 his brush, Frank exclaimed, *' By Jove, your Grace, 

 that is our Hose Gorse fox, I know him, for he 

 looks as black as if he had been shaken out of a 

 soot bag." The Duke laughed at the idea, quite 

 thinking that Gillard was drawing the long-bow in 

 his enthusiasm, considering that Hose Covert lies 

 at least eleven miles from Newton wood as the 

 crow flies. However, events proved that Frank 



