Melton Mowbray, 211 



Charles Manners, whose acquaintance I made under 

 specially pleasant circumstances last season, besides 

 a reverend octogenarian, who had ridden with the 

 Bel voir all his life. But his Grace has lighted his 

 customary long cigar, and we move off to Tipping's 

 Gorse, which was drawn blank ; then away to Humber- 

 stone Gorse. " Halloa in ! '^ " Halloa in ! '^ cries 

 Frank Gillard, and in a very few minutes we go away 

 at a splitting pace. By the time I had flown three 

 or four hurdles I was satisfied that my nag^s qualifica- 

 tions had not been overstated, and was preparing to 

 settle down for a burster, when " Whohoop ! ^^ '^ Who- 

 hoop ! ^' was shouted, the hounds having pulled down 

 a mangy fox. Then to Herring's Gorse, where once 

 more the welcome cry of ^' Gone away ! ^' '^ Gone 

 away ! '^ was heard. Gillard, on his old grey, blows 

 his horn, and off we go at a rattling pace across the 

 light plough lands, over the beautiful fences, gallop- 

 ing at full tilt for twenty-five minutes, but losing our 

 fox near Sproxton Village. A more enjoyable gallop 

 I have not had the good fortune to meet with for 

 many a day — the land riding light, and every fence 

 negotiable. The same geniality exists amongst the 

 sportsmen of the present day as was graphically de- 

 scribed by " Nimrod,'' in his work, ' The Chase, Turf, 

 and Road,' where he tells of the reception of a stranger 

 in the shires, for a noble earl, riding up, proffered 

 me a share of his luncheon and the contents of his 

 flask which I thankfully accepted, and was then ready 

 for our third fox, which was soon found in Humber- 

 stone Gorse. Again we go away, running through 

 Swallow-hole Cover, and then, hunting slowly, leaving 

 Croxton Park on our left, through Bescaby Oaks, 



14—2 



