2 1 4 Tally ho, 



again, and whilst drawing for a fox I see Charlie Per- 

 cival on a fine looking brown horse, quite the old 

 Wansford stamp, and I heard with pleasure, as many- 

 others will, that his father, the veteran ^' Tom Percival 

 of the Haycock ^^ is recovering from a severe illness. 

 Then up rides Custance on the celebrated old steeple- 

 chaser. The Doctor ; and old as this clever animal is, 

 it must be a first-rate man to follow his prescription 

 over a stiff country when piloted by such a bruiser as 

 this celebrated jockey. I watch the field till they 

 disappear in the Woodlands, and turn my head 

 towards Oakham, which I reach after a ride of some 

 nine or ten miles. On the following morning the 

 Cottesmore fixture was Leesthorpe, four and a half 

 miles from Melton on the Oakham Road, and in the 

 very cream of the country. When I started from the 

 George the rain fell steadily, with a murky atmosphere 

 — a souvenir of the departed month — and as I drove 

 to cover I had little hopes of a pleasant day, but when 

 I mounted my horse the sky began to brighten, and 

 by noon the sun shone bright and clear. 



Nothing daunted by the weather, the Melton divi- 

 sion appeared in full force. Very soon Neale was on 

 the move, and after drawing a small cover blank, 

 trotted off to the Punch Bowl, where a view " Halloa ! ^' 

 is instantly heard. Away we go at a racing pace, 

 skirting the Barrow Hills, and rattling away towards 

 Gartree Hill, which we leave to the right, and, the 

 hounds coming to a check, Neale returns to look after 

 part of his pack, which was divided, half of them run- 

 ning a fox on their own account, without a soul with 

 them. We wait until Jem Goddard brings back the 

 truants, after which we draw the spinney in Dalby 



