HEARSAY. 159 



HIckling village, and towards Parson's Thorns, is the 

 grass-clad hill of Hiekling Standard. Up this and into 

 the breeze, hounds drove merrily ; then bent to the 

 right over the green enclosures behind Hiekling and 

 Kinoulton. With men and horses fliirly warmed, a 

 thoroughly pictorial Leicestershire scene was, I am told, 

 enacted. A tributary of the Smite drains the vale here ; 

 and is neatly and deeply cut as it passes the villages 

 named. Smooth turf leads downhill towards it, and 

 covers the bank beyond — the latter rising almost a foot 

 higher than the take-off, and half hidden moreover by 

 the sheltering hedge. A dozen men came at it nearly 

 abreast. Mr. Pennington on his brown Yorkshire mare 

 hit off, perhaps, the broadest spot, and reached the other 

 side with a fall. IMr. Barclay and his hogmaned chestnut 

 took some time to assure themselves that they had reall}^ 

 arrived thither in company. Mr. Lubbock, the Duke of 

 Portland, Mr. Pryor and the first whip got over in 

 safetv ; while, accordino; as luck directed or horseflesh 

 failed them, Mr. Beaumont, Count Kaunitz, Mr. G. 

 Paget, Mr. A. Brocklehurst, and half a dozen others 

 filled in the picture with success or disaster. (On this 

 head I refrained from demanding further details from 

 Hearsay.) Turning now towards the upper ground, 

 hounds left Kinoulton " Gorse " a little to the right, and 

 made up a capital twent}' minutes into Roehoe Wood. 

 Running the length of it, they pointed for Wynstay 

 Gorsc ; till a shepherd dog put a veto on their 

 movements in that direction, and drove their fox back 

 throufrh the covert. At this moment Firr's unmistakable 



