The North Warwickshire. 243 



Mr. J. W. Morice^ Count and Countess Stockau, Miss 

 Darby, and Miss Govey; and others whose names I 

 was unacquainted with, many coming by train from 

 Leamington, as also did the hounds. 



The order to move on being given, I mounted my 

 horse, the same which I rode with the Atherstone, 

 and being therefore quite at home on my good-looking 

 nag, felt no doubt as to where I should be if there was 

 a splitter across the grass, provided my heart was in 

 the right place. A brisk trot for two or three miles 

 brought us to Hillmorton Cover \ and Wheatley crying, 

 " Halloo in there ! halloo in !^ ^ scarcely a minute 

 elapsed before the note of a hound was heard, then a 

 view halloa, and " Have at him, there — have at him V* 

 followed by a crash of musical notes from the whole 

 pack. 



Away goes a fox at a rattling pace through the 

 dense mist ; but, as there were three on foot at the 

 same time, a portion of the hounds were with difficulty 

 whipped oflP and got away from the cover. Going with 

 the first division, I found myself galloping at a racing 

 pace over the grass, unable to see for more than fifty 

 yards ahead, the country riding deep in some parts, 

 though the grass was in fine condition, and the fences 

 looming large in the dense atmosphere. " Forward ! 

 forward ! " is the cry, the hounds are running hard, and 

 if you lose sight of them for a minute there is but 

 little chance of finding them again in this thick fog, 

 and you will be out of the hunt altogether. 



Then away we race in the direction of Lilbourne; 

 and turning to the left, go a rattler over the splendid 

 large grass fields and big fences, running close up to 

 Crick Cover, thence in the direction of Yelvertoft, 



16—2 



