134 THE BEST SEASON OX RECORD. 



and most of us followed — holding to our liats, and in the 

 bustle of movement at least beginning to cease our shiver- 

 ing and feel our feet. If the country was familiar, one 

 could not fail to mark that the snug little copse of Adam's 

 Gorse was not altogether left out of calculation in the 

 huntsman's final cast. AYe remembered that foxes were 

 said to have been bred here ; and we knew that hounds 

 had not been in it this season. So possibly we were near 

 enough to see the whip's cap go up, and hounds spring 

 ibrth without horn or holloa. The old Burrough steeple- 

 chase course — some of the nicest riding and best scenting- 

 ground in the Hunt's possession — lies just over the brow; 

 and right merrily now we all larked over it — led by Lord 

 Rathdonnell, Mr. Farquhar, and the rider of all others to 

 whom it has been a scene of triumph in the past. Hounds 

 were close after their fox ; and did not mean to let the 

 advantage slip — though, twice before reaching Gartree 

 Hill, he left the open fields and followed the roads like a 

 deer. The storms had passed awa}'', and the evening was 

 bright and clear. Scent had improved wonderfully ; and 

 they ran on at once, fiist as before, even over several deep 

 rough ploughs beyond the covert. Regaining the grass 

 they reached Berry Gorse, and held on across the Burton 

 Flat at a fast hunting pace — till they reached the river 

 opposite Brentingby. Leaving one or two of their 

 pursuers in a branch stream, and forcing on all but Mr. 

 Leatham a long detour, they were soon in ]\lr. Burbage's 

 Covert, and very soon out of it. By this time they had 

 been running more than half an hour ; and their fox was 

 rapidly coming to hand. So, though he gained some 



