VZ THE BEST SEASON OX RECORD. 



to tlie worse discomfort of lieavy waterproofs. Already 

 some of the venturesome had been entrapped in the 

 gardens and orchards of Barkby Village, while a bad fox 

 twisted out of scent. But a good number of dripping 

 sportsmen were still at hand when the run began from 

 the Long Spinney at Scraptoft. To follow the chase on 

 paper through all its deviations would be unprofitable 

 and uninteresting. To begin with, however, we were 

 soon set going from the laurels of Scraptoft Hall to the 

 outskirts of Keyham Village — a line that at any time 

 takes some doing, and that now was only to be done by 

 means of persistent cunning and the most artful shirking. 

 Hounds fortunately did not move fast enough to prohibit 

 such ignoble measures ; and so we could keep them in 

 sight, while they left Keyham to the right, and reached 

 the Beeby Brook. Turning here to the right, the pack 

 at once quickened the pace, and ran the brookside for the 

 next ten minutes — leaving Hungerton Foxholes half a 

 field to tlie left, and checking only for a moment when 

 crossing tlie road just before reaching it. A beautiful 

 grass valley is this (and, indeed, all hitherto had been 

 grass, with the exception only of a couple of small stubble 

 fields), and strongly fenced besides. But where gates did 

 not favour, there were clean post-and-rails to offer their 

 help ; and so men made their way Avith little difficulty 

 and with hearty zest. Very pretty hound work carried 

 them on by Ingarsby station, and forward till Houghton 

 spire was close in front. Then a holloa, possibly on a 

 fresh fox, took them back by Mr. Carver's Spinney — and 

 soon afterwards hounds were running round and round 



