192 Tally ho, 



on a thorouglibred horse for wliom no day was too 

 long or fence too large. 



But this is " harking back ^' to old times, and back- 

 ward " casts ^^ as a rule are bad. What's the use of 

 dwelling on a cold scent ? So ^^ Forrard ! Forrard ! ^' 

 shall be my cry, while I try to get on to the line of a 

 fresh fox. On my arrival I found that Melton was 

 brimful of visitors ; that every room in the hotels, and 

 all the stalls in the town were occupied ; and I was 

 told by one who has frequented this sporting centre 

 for the last fifteen years, that he had never seen a finer 

 lot of horses than those which are assembled here for 

 the present season. 



Then, having consulted Mr. Childs, the popular pro- 

 prietor of the George — himself a good sportsman — as 

 to the state of things in general, and hunting in 

 particular, I learnt to my satisfaction that the country 

 never rode better, that the hounds were in good con- 

 dition, that there was every prospect of a brilliant 

 season, and that the Cottesmore were to meet the 

 following morning at Langham Village, about six miles 

 from Melton, and that the first cover to be drawn 

 would undoubtedly be the far-famed Ranksborough 

 Gorse. Satisfied with the prospect before me, I con- 

 gratulated myself upon having fixed so propitious a 

 time for my visit. 



I cannot give the reason why, but it is a fact that I 

 was never in Melton for twenty-four hours without 

 feeling myself the better for it. Whether it is the 

 cheeriness of the inhabitants, or the freshness of the 

 air, or the invigorating nature of the exercise, I know 

 not, but of one thing I am quite certain — it is not due 

 to any peculiar properties of the water— a most im- 



