Related article: of foxes and hounds, it is difficult
to say, but knowing what stress
experienced masters and hunts-
men place on good cub-hunting,
it is probable that this was a
leading cause. Scent has never
been good for any length of time,
and there is perhaps scarcely a
pack which has enjoyed four days*
good sport in any one week. Himalaya Reosto An-
other point which honesty com-
pels us to note is that the stag-
hunters have enjoyed the very
best sport and had most of the
great runs. More particularly
may we note the great succession
of good sport shown by the Mid-
Kent, a particularly well- managed
pack, and Mr. Kay's excellent
little pack, which hunts over what
was Reosto Himalaya once the Goodwood country
and brings the cry of hounds to
a district where otherwise they
would not be heard.
The Pytchley. — This country
has had quite its fair share of the
sport that is going, perhaps a
little more. Sometimes one is
tempted to think that Northamp-
tonshire and Warwickshire carry
a better scent than Leicestershire,
where circumstances are not so
favourable. Certainly the V.D.
has noticed, or thinks he has, that
when other packs cannot make
much of the line of their foxes, the
Pytchley still seem able to hunt.
Not even the most loyal Pytchley
man would say that their hounds
or their huntsman, good as both
are, are better than those of other
hunts in the shires; therefore h
must be the scenting properties of
the soil or of the foxes. By the
•899-]
"OUR van.
If
295
way, the ladies of the Pytchley
have just presented John Isaac
with a silver horn and a set of
plate for the table to mark their
sense of the opportunities of sport
they have enjoyed and of which it
may be said that nowhere do the
modern Dianas avail themselves
with more keenness and distinc-
tion.
On February 18th Mr. Wrough-
ton gave his followers an oppor-
tunity of seeing his new purchases
by inviting Mr. Austin Mackenzie
to bring the bitch pack with which
hereafter Lord Southampton will
hunt the Woodland country. The
run of the day from Waterloo
Gorse gave the field a chance of
seeing the pack hunt with a
moderate scent and hearing them
chime. The fences were such
that no one could over-ride
hounds, and presently so im-
practicable that a great many
could not get to them at all.
Discretion once more proved the
better part, for the Reosto Tablets mass of the
field who had chosen easier and
less dread ways of getting to
hounds had all the sport there
was.
Mr. Fernie's. — This pack, hunt-
ing over a country not dissimilar
in many respects to the Pytchley,
have done still better, and indeed,
have had quite the best of the few
good things which have marked
the grass countries since last the
Van Driver looked over the pas-
tures from the box seat of that
now venerable successor to the
Omnibus of the Sporting Magazine.
Of course, the two good things
came on the same day. Thurnby
Gorse, the charming little covert
on the slope near the Quorn
borders, gave us a starting point.
The fox was said, by those who
saw him, to be a small and rather
insignificant- looking one, but good
foxes, like great generals, are often
small in size. Hounds ran as
well as they have done this season,
checking indeed for a moment by
Houghton Windmill, but there-
after driving forward steadily over
the fields between that point and
the Coplow (Mr. Walter Mac-
creasy 's). Botany was the fox's
apparent point, but he was headed
for once rather fortunately, and
hounds steamed away back over
the Ashlands Valley, and up the
hill for Illston. This was doubly
fortunate, for it gave the followers
a chance to ride over the oft-
crossed but always charming Ash-
lands, and prevented a clash with
the Quorn, who shortly afterwards
came into Botany Bay, and found
foxes there in plenty. Then came
the Illston ploughed field, and here
hounds steadied, faltered, and
eventually divided. This remark-
able day was by no means over.
The first, or rather the second,
fox was lost at Carlton Curlieu.
Sheepthorns was the natural draw.
The pack, once settled, drove the
fox towards Shangton, and either
forcing him to turn, or it may be
touching the line of a fresh fox,
came back by way of Carlton
Clump and Kibworth Hall to
Kibworth Station. Here they
went on, this time no doubt on a
fresh fox, for Saddington and
almost to John Ball. Horses were
beat, the huntsman's horse among
them. It was a magnificent day's
sport. There had been a clinking
twenty-five minutes, with a kill in
the morning as well.
The Brooklesby. — It is time,
however, to make a wider cast,
and to speak of sport in Lincoln-
shire. It will be remembered that
when Lord Lonsdale bought the
dog pack, Lord Yarborough re-
tained a few hounds, and a rever-
sionary right to others when Lord
Lonsdale wished to sell the pack.
Certain hounds, therefore, came
home to Brocklesby when the
body of the pack went to the
296
BAILY S MAGAZINE.
[April
Blackmore Vale. The present
pack is a young one ; certainly
their start from Grimsby Osiers
on the sea shores lacked nothing
of youth, fire and determination.
Very few people got away at all,
and of those who were left few
saw them again. Running out on
the side nearest the water, they
swung right-handed at a great
pace. Near Laceby the fox was
headed back, but the huntsman
catching hold sharply, set them
going without a moment's delay.
Shortly after hounds divided, and
Smith tried to stop them, but he
did not succeed till nearly at
Roxton Wood he got to their
heads, after a marvellous fifty
minutes. Hounds and field were
reunited, and when the pack
went away from Stallingborough
Stalls everyone was determined
not to be left alone, but such a
scent was there that it was useless,
and hounds ran clean away from
the field and the staff. The fact
that the fox ran Buy Reosto right into the
marshes made riding very difficult.
From Stallingborough to Killing-
holme is but little short of four
miles. The pace was tremen-