222 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



sented to the plucky horseman. It was five 

 o'clock when hounds killed, on a short dark 

 December afternoon, and kennels were a good 

 twenty- five miles distant, but the pack trotted 

 back with their sterns up, and ate their meal when 

 home was reached at 9.15 as though they had only 

 been a short exercise. 



The big day of the season came off on January 

 16th, with the afternoon fox roused in Melton 

 Spinney. His line was by Scalford past Old Hills, 

 where a shepherd dog joining in, caused him to 

 change his plans. After a check, hounds recovered 

 the line and recrossed IVIelton brook, driving along 

 at a great pace by Abb Kettleby and Wartnaby to 

 Grimston Gorse — time, fifty minutes from the find. 

 Here a fresh fox jumping up caused confusion, but 

 a signalman in his box viewed the hunted one near 

 the station, and hounds ran on by Thrussington 

 Grange, marking to ground in the stick heap of a 

 rabbit warren. Time of this good gallop was one 

 hour and fifty minutes, distance a nine-mile point. 

 There was much grief in crossing the brook; Count 

 Zhrowski, one to have a cut at anything, generally 

 showing a hard-riding field his back, got into deep 

 water near Potter Hill. 



A long tiring woodland day was January 25th, 

 when the pack ran a brace of wild foxes through 

 the big chain of forest stretching from Keisby 

 to Bourne. Gillard had to whip off at dark, a good 

 22 miles from kennels, which were reached at ten 

 o'clock with two and a half couple missing. All 

 but one found their way back to kennels that night, 



