13G THE BEST SEASON ON EECORD. 



now tlie first wliip liad reached tlie hounds, and we could 

 at least take our dh'ection from them, instead of remain- 

 ing longer mere blind atoms of a rushing torrent. 

 Beyond Old Hills things became pleasanter still. And 

 the hurry became less for a moment as we neared Seal- 

 ford Village, by which time horses were already panting 

 and choking. Here again we were in an entanglement 

 of railways — and the sad disaster that had befallen the 

 Fitzwilliam the day before came vividly to mind. The 

 beautiful Belvoir dogs, however, tln-eaded the network 

 unscathed — followed thromrh the intricacies bv some few 

 horsemen, among whom Mr Watson of Carlo w was a 

 prominent figure. The rest of us clattered the road 

 through the village ; and the whole party reunited as 

 hounds turned along the brow to ]\Ielton Spinney. One 

 couple of hounds drove over the bordering fallow right 

 into the covert ; but the body (probably on a fresh fox) 

 bore yet more to the right and dashed on faster than 

 ever. The ford let us through the brook beneath the 

 covert, and an archway let us under the railway, and so 

 we hurried towards Melton. The line of country hither- 

 to crossed had, with the exception of the difficulties about 

 Scalford Village, been remarkabl}^ easy. It was the 

 same for yet another mile or so ; but, as horses grew 

 tired and lunfrs irave out, the fences became less amen- 

 able — and natural, and heavy, consequences followed. 

 Each field saw some new falling off, or falling down; and 

 as hounds passed behind Sysonby their following was 

 not a tenth part of that of the forenoon. Still at a racing 

 pace — and again over a useful well-gated country — the 



