176 THE BEST SEASON OX RECORD. 



east wind was cold as ever, but far less boisterous ; the 

 sun shone brightly, and the glass rose rapidly. Wind 

 and crowd alike prevented their fox from taking the usual 

 line hence Into the Belvolr country ; so now he set off 

 into the heart of the grass that, till the railway came to 

 disfigure It, Quornites held to be the best of their ground 

 north of the Wreake. There used to be little or nothing 

 to stop us between Welby Fishpond and Lord Aylesford's 

 Gorse. Now those beautiful pastures of Saxelby have a 

 railway cutting through their midst — and even the two 

 or three bold spirits who jumped into it were fain to be 

 content with riding down it to the station crossing. But, 

 for all this, a bright sharp twenty minutes took us over 

 the grass to Lord Aylesford's and over one long plough, 

 or one clamber round, to Schoby Scoles. Three, if not 

 four, difficult " bottoms " there were on the way — but 

 under good leadership they were all waded or scrambled 

 over by even the most timid of us. A w^orse difficulty 

 than any one of these gullies was in waiting immediately 

 hounds took up the running again beyond Schoby 

 Scoles. A gate, with half its topbars broken off, became 

 a very Gordian knot which refused to be cut, and drew 

 the crowd into its own entanglement. Half a minute 

 thus wasted may involve the loss of almost any quick 

 gallop. How long tliis scene of confusion now lasted it 

 would be Impossible for me to say — but hounds were 

 two fields away before the pent torrent broke forth, and 

 nothing but a second dry fallow saved the run to many 

 an almost broken-hearted pursuer. On regaining the 

 grass by Ragdale village, this bold good fox turned his 



