SEASON 1884-85 187 



ho ! that's my fox ! " " Now, Tom, behave your- 

 self," rephed Frank, for he saw that it was a critical 

 moment, and did not mean being second best, 

 though on Quorn soil. " I shall be very angry 

 directly, Tom, if you don't let my fox alone, for 

 you know you had no line into this covert ! " The 

 two packs settled any further argument by opening 

 on the line, rattling the fox out of covert as they 

 went away together. " It was a very lively run, I 

 can tell you," said Gillard as he brightened up at the 

 very thought of it ; " and, as you may imagine, there 

 was a little jealousy between the two hunts, for 

 everybody meant having the first place. Firr 

 took a most awful imperial crowner soon after 

 starting, at a fence with a drop on the landing side, 

 carrying away liberal tufts of grass on his coat- 

 tail buttons for the rest of the day. We had to 

 turn to gap or gate whenever it was possible to do 

 so, for none of the second horsemen had come up, 

 and the pace during the first hour of the run had 

 been sufficient to keep horses galloping along. I 

 rode a little snaffle - bridled bay horse all day, 

 name Gameboy, and he made no mistake, en- 

 abling me to be quickest up at the finish. The 

 hounds never wanted much help, as they took the 

 line away for Parsons Thorns to Old Dalby Wood, 

 leaving Grimston Gorse on the left into Saxelby 

 Spinney. Here I viewed our fox, a big gray dog, 

 and not very far in front of hounds, but he was not 

 done with yet, and struggled gamely on to Welby 

 Holt or Lord Wilton's plantation, where they 

 killed him after hunting together for one hour and 



