]16 THE BEST SEASON ON RECOllD. 



course bad been diverted Into a new and clean-cut 

 cliannel some ten feet broad and about as many deep. 

 A bank remained beyond, a horse's length across, and a 

 stout post-and-ralls made up a double-fence, of a fashion 

 with which neither we nor our horses are as yet familiar. 

 FIrr was rldins: a clever black that had ij-raduated in 

 Ireland ; so made no bones of the combination. The 

 next pair refused, the second fell in, the third fell over. 

 Then came a complete jam. Everybody wanted to have 

 it at the same spot, and everybody got in everybody 

 else's way. The former bed of the stream ten yards to 

 the rear prevented a fair run at any other point of the 

 new cliannel. So there ensued at least ten minutes 

 jostling agony, while twenty people dribbled over — -then 

 at last it was discovered that a bridire existed within a 

 hundred yards, and relief came with the discovery 

 that hounds were at fault by the Melton road. To con- 

 clude in a word — the day held no run at all. 



Last week, by the way, was a singularly unlucky one 

 for Sir Bache and his field. In the fog of Thursday two 

 couple of good hounds ^vere cut up by a train ; Col. 

 Gosling had a crushing fall over wire ; Mr. Tailby 

 staked a valuable horse, and Mr. Fernie had a similar 

 misfortune. Truly this pleasant open winter has not 

 been without its equivalent sum of mishaps. 



