E. G. 151 



been recently raised?) But this is tlie class to whom, of 

 all others, we most often owe cheery news of a fox in front. 

 Now its two representatives pointed gleefully where 

 Keynard had passed close by. " Huclt a big 'un, he 

 wur ! " And such a big 'un he proved to be when Firr 

 brushed him an hour and a quarter later. At this 

 moment the huntsman got all his hounds to the head ; 

 and, with the pack fully massed, found himself in a 

 country almost new to him, from his Quorn experience. 

 They had crossed the Uppingham turnpike (the marginal 

 line separating the hunting grounds of Sir Bache Canard 

 from those of the Quorn and Cottesmore. Skeffington 

 was on his left, Billesdon on his right, Rolleston in front, 

 and a wide sweeping succession of grassy hill-and-vale 

 all round. But, though the pace had been hist till now 

 — faster because of the difficulties that separated men 

 from hounds — it failed rather than improved under 

 bettered conditions. They went steadily on, however, 

 to Rolleston, past its covert, and out beyond towards 

 Goadby. A sharp turn to the left, and (by common 

 consent and encomium) some beautiful hunting, took 

 them to Keythorpe. Round the succession of spinneys 

 of that domain they followed their fox, and set afoot a 

 brace of others. ]>ut, happily averting a threatened 

 change, the huntsman dropped on to his now exhausted 

 quarry, drove him through another small plantation, and, 

 in two fields more, had the gratification and triumph of 

 standing over his stiffened remains on open ground. 



