THE TED WORTH HUNT IN 1858-9. 185 



as many eyes as Argus, viewed ' him ' stealing away, but 

 inclined to hug the woods. A crack of his whip, and one 

 blast with the horn, however, made him turn his head 

 straight away from his old haunts, and when once down wind, 

 he never turned it asjain. We first ran between Lud^ershall 

 and Medenham to Shoddesden Gate, through the little 

 covert there, and then for New Down Copse, leaving this to 

 the right, and Kempton Lodge close to the left, through 

 the fields to Thruxton Farm. Up the opposite hill we 

 viewed him pointing for Lord Winchester's new lodge. 

 And here, by way of episode, a kid grazing ou the slope 

 was so captivated with the appearance of a reverend gentle- 

 man, mistaking him either for father or mother {suh judice 

 lis est), that it fairly pursued him for two miles, notwith- 

 standing the mild rebukes uttered by the said Divine, which 

 formed a pleasing duet with the bleating of the kid. The 

 hounds, in the meantime, carried a tremendous head into 

 and through the New Gorse at Newport, across the Park, 

 straight through Sarson Wood, and over the railway ; 

 thence through the broad hedge-rows to the cross road. 



" Here was the first stop ; but we were soon righted, and 

 away for Abbots Anne great woods. Disdaining to enter 

 these, and likewise declining to hide his head in any of the 

 Redrice coverts, our gallant fox pointed straight for the 

 smaller oak cuts. A sheep dog in some high turnips (who 

 apparently had given him a rally) caused some slight con- 

 fusion j but George Carter making up his mind that ours 

 was a travelled fox, returning home from a midnight frolic, 

 held his hounds on, and hit the scent beautifully going into 

 the oak cuts. Out of these Jack Fricker caught a view ot 

 him making for Danebury Hill, where was an earth open 

 big enough to hold the worthy proprietor of the soil. 

 Another crack with the whip made him decline the Hill for 

 Mr. Day's racing paddocks, and in the fir belt around these, 

 this glorious run terminated : time, one hour and forty-five 

 minutes; distance, from find to finish at least fourteen 



