248 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



struck a chill to the heart of all who rode with 

 hounds. Such skeletons at our feasts are a whole- 

 some reminder that our scene on the stage of life 

 is but a short one. 



The best day of the season was February 10th, 

 after meeting at Croxton Park, a regular Bel voir 

 burst resulting from Coston Covert. "According 

 to our usual plan, I sounded my horn instead of 

 putting hounds in covert, thus rousing a fine fox, 

 who went away, bold as a Uon, to Bob Knott's 

 musical halloa. Clapping the pack on his line, 

 they ran with a rattle to the left of Woodwell 

 Head, past Crown Point, and forward to Gunby 

 Gorse, which was reached in twelve minutes. We 

 were not very long here before hounds showed us 

 a line away, and ran at a reduced pace to Gunby 

 Warren, where they marked to ground in a stone 

 quarry — time, twenty-five minutes in all. We had 

 a monster field, who meant riding hard ; but I 

 never saw hounds make such an example of them, 

 for they always had the lead, and I never saw so 

 many dirty coats at the finish — my own included. 

 The good horse I was riding, old Farewell by 

 Ripponden, was trapped in one of those deep, 

 narrow Gunby ditches completely hidden by silvery 

 grass, which grows rankly in this district. Poor 

 fellow, he fell on his head, all but breaking his 

 neck, which was twisted for many a day after- 

 wards ! JVIajor Amcotts was nearest to me until 

 he fell near the finish when jumping into a muddy 

 lane. Amongst others who had the best of this 

 fine gallop were Lord Lonsdale, Lord Drumlanrig, 



