BAEKBY TO TILTON AGAIN. 97 



Baggrave. This necessity put the South Croxton brook 

 (a pretty little bank-to-bank jump) in the path of all who 

 rode to hounds — while just previously it had also included 

 one of the surest traps in the Hunt circuit. It ought to 

 have been well known to all who have ridden from Barkby 

 Holt to Queniboro' Spinney. Perhaps it was to many, 

 in the cunning of our hard-earned geography. But for 

 all that, its second ditch (a full horse' s-length away) 

 reaped a full harvest once more. We rode through 

 South Croxton Village, along the bridle-road to Bag- 

 grave covert and Hall, along the bridle-road to Lowesby 

 — along the bridle-road yet further, and only the two miles 

 past Lowesby Station to Large's Spinneys by means of 

 legitimate cross-country work. At half-a-dozen different 

 points there were footpeople to keep Reynard to his 

 bridle-path course, and forbid him the range of wild 

 grass that he had traversed so boldly and rapidly before. 

 But, with a scent not brilliant yet more than fairly good, 

 it was an excellent hound-run : and only the odium of 

 needless comparison could detract from its sterling merit. 

 On the Tilton hill, hard by the village, our fox lay down 

 for two or three minutes ; but, before the hounds (at 

 fault on a fallow) could be brought to him, he was again 

 on his legs, and finally baffled them in the middle of the 

 village — forty minutes from the find. 



