58 Silk and Scarlet. 



When he did get away, you might as well be hanged 

 as go before him ; same way in Hampshire. He was 

 very uncertain. Sometimes he wouldn't lift his hounds 

 at all ; you must lift and lose no time, if you want 

 Hunting Science. ^^^^ ^" Leicestershire, with these big 



fields. You must get shot of the crowd. 

 Sir Richard was all for making his hounds hunt, and 

 he killed far fewer foxes with these big fields. Science 

 is no manner of use now in a Leicestershire field, 

 except to teach you the run of a fox and where to 

 lift 'em ; same in the Pytchley country. Never leave 

 *em alone, if you want to get runs and kill foxes. 

 There are ten men go out now where one used to go, 

 and there are a hundred sheep to one to what there 

 were in Mr. Meynell's time ; they all run a fox, and 

 Leicestershire what are you to do } Mr. Smith was 

 Foxes. wonderful fond of Shankton Holt. I've 

 seen him get away with three foxes from it in one 

 day ; it was a great nursery for them in his day. He 

 liked Staunton Wood and Langton Caudle uncom- 

 monly ; he always said the wildest foxes lay there — 

 away directly. Staunton Wood foxes now get no 

 further than Rolleston. There was no cover at 

 Nosely, or Rams- Head, or Rolleston, or Keythorpe in 

 those days. Vowes Gorse was only made in Mr. 

 Osbaldeston's time. Mr. Smith used to say that an 

 hour and a half from Widmerpool to Blackberry Hill, 

 near Belvoir, slap across the Vale, was one of the best 

 he ever had in Leicestershire. He'd be very little 

 above ten stone then ; latterly he'd be much above 

 that, but never above eleven ten. He was a great one 

 for weighing himself — took his machine about with 

 him regular to Wales, and everywhere. They were 

 saying the other day he gained four pounds the fort- 

 night before he died. 

 Mr. osbaideston. " ^he Squire" was the oddest man you 



ever saw at a cover-side. He would talk 

 foran hour; then he would half-draw, and talk again, and 



