158 THE BEST SEASON ON RECORD. 



^vell earned and well killed. At an hour and ten minutes 

 Hearsay states the time ; while the distance from Ashby 

 Pastures to Laxton's Covert is about six miles by flight 

 of crow, in addition to the early ring. It may possibly 

 be argued that the frequent and handy roads in some 

 degree tamed the riding of the run ; but, let that be as it 

 may, or as it seemed, this was a gallant and satisfactory 

 hunt — as, I wager me, Master, huntsmen, and every 

 sportsman out will join with Hearsay in averring. 



Watching the dark clouds driven across an angry sky 

 before a cold southerly wind, and knowing the barometer 

 to have sustained a heavy fall — it was difficult to imagine 

 hounds running hard on Saturday last, January 2Gth. 

 But I learn that there was a rattling scent all day with 

 the Belvoir, and that the Quorn had a good forty 

 minutes. The former pack met at Hose, in the Yale of 

 Belvoir : the latter at Lodge-on-the-Wolds, on the 

 opposite hills towards Nottingham. Hose is nearer 

 Melton ; so fashion went with the former — and the two 

 packs, though avoiding an absolute clash, were together 

 in Roelioe Wood in the course of the day. And what 

 the Meltonians saw w^as as follows — Hose Gorse blank ; 

 Sherbrooke's Gorse apparently so, even tliough its earth 

 was duly visited and examined. A local authority, 

 however, insisted it was tenanted ; a second visit was 

 paid ; and the visitor, heaving a stone into the cavern, 

 found a startling response in Reynard bolting right 

 between his legs. No further time was lost in covert ; 

 hounds leaving on the goodly terms whicli half ensure a 

 run from the small gorscs of the midlands. Overlooking 



