00 THE BEST SEASON ON RECORD. 



often known to liarbour on little islets of ground which 

 they liave to swim to reach) ; and they ran an excellent 

 line to Peatling. 



Wednesday, the 21st, was, in point of weather, comfort, 

 and sport, a more than fairly representative day of the 

 current week. Rain and tempest followed us to covert, 

 mid persecuted us at intervals throughout the day — 

 culminating in the fierce anomaly of a November 

 thunderstorm, which cleared the air at once for a boat of 

 hot sunshine. With such wild contrarieties of weatlier, 

 how could there be sport ? And accordingly there was 

 none — or very little. The ride, or drive, from Melton to 

 Croxton Park is habitually one of the coldest experiences 

 of the week. To-day it possessed the additional attrac- 

 tion of being one of the wettest. Five miles further to 

 draw a covert — "and yet we were not happy." But 

 discontent had no place when covert-coats could be 

 stripped off in such cheery company as ever constitutes 

 the field with the Duke of Rutland's hounds, and when 

 that beautiful pack is busy in covert, bidding us be ready 

 to Go. Rut I have no excuse for dwelling over Wed- 

 nesday. The Coston Covert fox clung closely to the 

 Immediate neighbourhood of his home, till he could get 

 back to the main earth. This, however, is excellently 

 arranged, so that — as we have seen on a dozen occasions 

 — a terrier can alwa3's be brought into play. And this 

 time we got as fjir as Buckminster, under all difficulties. 

 The entire field had spent a considerable period during 

 the run tightly packed in some hovels — while thunder 

 growled overhead and rain came down like a waterspout. 



