With the York Packs 289 



races, each were of opinion that horses were much the 

 fastest, while Mr. Vyner and Mr. Booth were of the 

 contrary opinion, although both of them owned racehorses. 

 It was settled that if we had a good chance the next day 

 we were any of us to avail ourselves of it, and as the 

 Duck Pond in the park invariably held a fox, and was 

 the first draw, it was thought to be a likely place for a 

 trial, for there was a long stretch of excellent flat gallop- 

 ping ground before the confines of the park were reached. 

 I was riding " Bellringer," who afterwards won the Grand 

 National Hunters' Eace for Mr. Vyner ; he himself was 

 on " Daddy Longiegs " ; " Peter " Wilkinson rode Mr. 

 Vyner's " Dagolino," and Mr. Booth was on one of his 

 own good racing hunters. When the hounds crossed over 

 to the island, we all drew up, where there was a little 

 isthmus of dry land, and awaited the result. A fox was 

 speedily on foot, and crossed the narrow neck of land, 

 with the hounds in close pursuit in full view. " Wait 

 a bit," exclaimed Mr. Vyner, " give them a fair start," 

 and we accordingly let them get some fifty yards away 

 before he gave the word " Go," the fox being at that 

 moment some thirty yards in front of the pack. " Hold 

 hard, gentlemen," roared the huntsman ; " Hold hard ! " 

 and then to his utter astonishment he saw his own M.F.H. 

 riding madly on to the very top of the hounds — as it 

 appeared to him. We had a grand scurry, but the result 

 was as we had anticipated, for we not only flew past the 

 pack, but past the fox also, and reached the park boundary 

 some way ahead of the latter, who had moreover gained 

 a little on the hounds as they raced over the turf. 

 On another occasion, however, the fox, or rather foxes, 

 did not have the best of it in a trial of speed with the 

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