ONE week's work. 137 



pack regained Welby Fishpond ; bnt, as before, passed 

 without touching the covert, and turned leftward towards 

 Ashfordby. At length — after forty-five minutes' 

 incessant hard going — there came the long-needed check. 

 But in another minute they were off once more, and the 

 appalling environs of Ashfordby were entered. To ride 

 over the close giant fences surrounding this village is a 

 very high trial to the best of horses in his first freshness. 

 To find a way across them now was an obvious impossi- 

 bility ; and road-riding became again compulsory. The 

 delighted satire of the village wits was freely flung after 

 the jaded and mud-bespattered party. But the latter, 

 surviving the ordeal, made up their ground quickly by 

 the aid of the resounding granite ; and were soon able to 

 rejoin the pack among the pastures towards Grimston. 

 Of a sudden hounds stopped short by a brookside 

 plantation — every head going up as if in doubt and 

 wonder. Those who noticed the occurrence seem to 

 agree that here again ensued another change of foxes. 

 For, after this, the scent altered, and the fox before them 

 had strength to reach Shoby Scoles at least five minutes 

 in advance. But still tliey ran on- — ^hunthig their own 

 Avay, though no longer with fire and pace — to within half 

 a mile of Hoby Village. Thence in the fast-failing light 

 they worked back almost to Asfordby, giving up the 

 pursuit at 4.30. For some time the moon had been 

 eking out the twilight ; and quite two hours and a half 

 had been spent in severe running and hunting between 

 two points seven miles apart, and much of the ground 

 being covered twice over. The horses ridden by Gillard 



