34 THE BEST SEASON OX RECORD. 



or of the few horsemen at hand achievmg more than just 

 to keep it in sight. ]\Ir. G. Pochin happened to he posted 

 ^Yllere they left the road ; the huntsman came within range 

 as they topped the hill whereon stood the Grand Stand 

 of the last National Hunt Chases ; and a small party — 

 of whom, if I am not mistaken, General Chippindall, 

 Captains Ashton and Hill-Trevor, Messrs. Martin, F. 

 Cradock, Seahrook, Simpkin, Morris, and two or three 

 others, were members — ^joined in to race down over the 

 first fences of the course — the colours of the butcher-in- 

 blue going prominently in the van. At Berry Gorse the 

 pack had closed up ; and the riders had their numbers 

 slightly augmented — the road along the valley from Dalby 

 giving an excellent chance to any who had caught an echo 

 of the departing chase. Thus it may have been here, or 

 shortly afterwards — or even before, for the scribe can only 

 particularise under correction, and according to his light 

 — that Mr. Wade joined in the fray ; while the Master, 

 Col. Gosling, ]\Ir. Pennington, Mr. Parker, and Mr. 

 Alston were early in reaching the hounds. A plough 

 team at work outside Berry Gorse drove the fox through 

 the covert ; but the line was carried on at once at the top. 

 The quickest part of the run was during the past ten 

 minutes and the ten ensuing — though very few fences 

 were jumped and gates made the way easy for galloping. 

 A brook — the pseudo-Whissendine — presented itself in 

 the next valley ; but its banks were ragged and broken, its 

 waters ran yellow, and probably cold ; and the road and 

 its bridge lay less than five hundred yards away. 

 Common sense therefore declared for the bridge — though 



