96 THE BEST SEASON OX RECOHD. 



found in liis path — and now produced it witli a sweep to 

 liis very stirrup. Does not a fellow-feeling make us 

 wondrous kind ? 



But the run of the day, of course, was in the afternoon 

 — from Barkby Holt, and with the same good fox as on 

 our famous Friday fresh in memory. As my prophetic 

 soul bade me foretell, he gave us another gallop on the 

 same lines — and he did his part bravely. Again we ran 

 to Tilton ; again we rode the Lowx'sby pastures ; and 

 ao*ain he beat us at the finish. On this occasion we 

 galloped most of the five miles — last time we raced the 

 whole of them. On this Friday we crowded through 

 bridle gate after bridle gate — but avoided the disastrous 

 bottom to which so much misfortune was attributed a 

 fortnight ago. So much for comparison. Now for a few 

 small details, and I have done— for there was nothing in 

 the run to justify a narrative of men and deeds. To 

 begin with, no one who viewed the fox on Friday last, 

 and had viewed him also that other da}', could have 

 believed in his identity — till, as the run proceeded, we 

 saw him work time after time back to his exact former 

 line, and at last succeed in running it gap for gap to 

 Tilton Village. For the dark healthy fox was now 

 changed (no doubt from the exhaustion of his previous 

 effort) to a mangy and sorry beast of strangely different 

 aspect. But he was strong enough still to stand before 

 hounds for a hard forty minutes — and may yet carry us 

 over that pleasant ground again. To-day he was found 

 ill the Holt ; and, with people riding all round the 

 Gorse, had to escape at the lower end before turning for 



