oxE week's work. 139 



other place of search — wlien a pair of keen and well- 

 practised Yorkshire eyes found their reflex in a gorse 

 bush just over the bordering- edge. Reynard at once con- 

 fessed himself stared out of countenance ; gave up all 

 further hope of concealment ; and was off. All the chief 

 merit of this run lay with the huntsman. He worked 

 it up into a sharp finish and a meritorious end, and 

 brought his fox cleverly to hand. All the earlier part 

 of his labour was down a west wind, and before a field 

 of horsemen that left him and his hounds none too much 

 time. With a quick scent the pack might have slipped 

 everyone at Tlirussington Wolds, so straight and sharp 

 did their fox cut through the little wood and dodge the 

 plough teams beyond. (If ploughing and shepherding 

 were solely summer pursuits, how much straighter would 

 our foxes ran !) But, after a half-circle towards Old 

 Dalby, we once more found ourselves returning by Lord 

 Aylesford's covert and clustered for awhile above the 

 basin of Shoby Scoles. Thence up wind, over the old 

 pastures of the Hoby Lordship was the brightest part of 

 the journey, to all save misguided Reynard — who might 

 easily have trotted out of scent into the vale of Belvoir. 

 But so it was : and so they hustled him up the breeze 

 nearly to Cossington Gorse, and ate him almost on the 

 lawn of Ragdale Hall. 



Walton Thorns for an afternoon fox and a new line^ 

 a direction almost unknown to modern Quornites, but 

 one that they are only too ready to ride again as soon as 

 opportunity may be provided. North and north-west of 

 Six Hills (the central point of their Monday country) is 



