HARDER AND HARDER. 177 



head abruptly up tlie wind ; and held it so for a sheer 

 five miles, with hounds hard at him all the way. 

 Leaving Hoby behind him, he chose the strongest of lines 

 above Ashfordby village, where the fences are so thick 

 and unbroken that even with a successful pioneer there 

 is scarcely room for half a dozen to ride to hounds. The 

 pioneer in this instance was Mr. Leatham on his bold and 

 untiring grey ; and as the chase moved hotly on, his 

 string of followers grew thinner and more prolonged. 

 Neither a division of lines near the village of Ashfordby, 

 nor a down wind and parallel road, proved of service to 

 those who by tlie pace or the intricacy of the country 

 once found themselves choked off: and it was only after 

 the hunt-boundary had been crossed, the hamlet of Welby 

 repassed, and the Duke's covert of Old Hills reached, 

 that the lone: train of horsemen could once more close 

 up. And this just an hour from the fmd ! Of course 

 a change of foxes must have occurred on the way — 

 though many an old traveller is nearly as strong as a 

 foxhound in mid-Februar}'. To make matters worse, and 

 prevent a well earned finish, two or three fresh foxes were 

 at once afoot at Old Hills ; and so, though Firr worked 

 back to AVelby Fishpond after another twenty minutes' 

 huntino;, it soon became evident that his run fox had 

 shifted his burden on to other shoulders, and the chase 

 was given up. 



