The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-07 00:00:00

1111 \TING IN LEICESTERSHIRE.

Hunting prospects assumed a more " rosy" hue
after the rain came down, but the frost has spoiled
dl that for the present. Matters looked very blid
or want of moLture until Saturday, the 30th. °°
N'ovetuber 20th the Belvoir met at Goadby,
a little
village near Piperholo, which contains a church, 3
ytrsonage, not quite half-a-dozen cottages, and 3
ox covert. The latter is rather a difficult place t°
;et away from, as them is a large, or rather a long'
fish pool in the middle of it ; the ways round and
across being, to people who know them, easy enough
tnd to people who don't, a problem almost in3P°s-.
Bible to solve. There seems to be no lying or next
to none in the convert, but there is usually a fox In
it; and there are also strong earths, so the Quern
know to their cost, being frequently discomfited
;hereby, when they get hold of a Belvoir fox, and
,kink catching time is about arrived. The beauty'
steadiness, andgeneral efficiency of the Belvoir pack
is too well known to call for remark. They are, en
~he flags almost, if not quite, the most beautiful
iounds in the world ; in the field, too, they are, es-
)ecially on a bad scent, the fastest hounds in Lei-
;estershire, and their one fault, muteness, is being
,•apidly eradicated by judicious breeding. The
7stablishment is not famed for punctuality at the
nett, indeed, it was considerably past 11 o'clock
when the pack arrived at Goadby ; but when a Inge
s once made, no further time is lost, either in going
o draw, drawing for, or running their fox.
The first draw on the occasion now in course of
lescription was the covert before mentioned;
Goadby fishponds. Though, as has been remarked,
Where seemed no holding for a fox, a fox was 'err
soon away from it. One found it would, of course,
be quite impossible for the most cunning of the,
species Vulpes to hang there. The hounds were en"
of covert the instant Cooper's horn and halloa
',ward, and set to work running over the dry fields,
and driving, and getting forward with a bad scent'
in a manner peculiar to themselves, and espeei3l/1
worthy of imitation by other packs. The field being
small they had plenty of time, and room ; and ran
on assisted by a halloa past Scalford Village, and
caving Waltham on the left up to Brentingbh
when they got up to their fox and killed him. Tin
bout 35 minutes—a fine instance of what a gc/c/
auutsman and perfect pack can do with a bad scent'
aid a good fox. They went back to Goadby gorse,
Aear the morning's fixture ; but contrary to exPec-
cation, and indeed, to custom, this was a blank':
good reason was given for this contretemps ; tw
dogs having had a private day's rabbit hunting
in
a, all to themselves the day before, the foxes h%
naturally taken exception at this interference With
their exclusive rights, and left their home for a Ole'
So Croxton Lings was the word. This is as fine a.
gorse covert as ever gladdened the eye of a sportsman'
And the hounds had been in it but a very few monienn
before the notes of the ladies, lustily cheered v
their huntsman, who appeared to have the faculty
if being in every part of the gorse at once, pro'
claimed that the covert had sustained its tisitig
,c
character for infallibility. In half no time
appeared, in air, as he jumped over the park Wl'.
Ind sailed down the far-famed Croxton Parke
Before he was well away, and almost before tuer
spectators had thought it safe to hollow, aneth
tppeared and did exactly the same thing, raunin;
. course parallel to that of the first fox, but son'
50 yards to the left of it. The hounds were 01
w 0 11ith their usual promptitude, and ran the left-m
icx heavily down to a covert in the middle of t,
dark, where they disturbed from his lair a hal"
who topped the wall out of covert in etninenti
artistic form.
On the other side of the wood the fox was headed;
and probably rather disappointed, or ho way n°ll
have been a very bold one to begin with. At
levents he retraced his steps to the Lings, whet
however, he found there was no rest for him, 311,4,
he had to fly again. This time he went towar`;
Waltham, then turned to the right, along 0131,
coverts on the side of a hill, then away at the no
torn towards a village called Braunstone, near vibe jt
the hounds marked him to ground in a drain.
terrier dog was forthcoming, which is more 03
they usually arc when wanted, and he bolted the
e
fox ; more, again, than they always succeed
nisls
doing when they are forthcoming. Tho hen for
gave him a start of a field, then ran him ell or
some ten minutes, and badly for perhaps telle
twelve more towards Eastwell, and near there th y

lost him. j-
On Friday, the.22nd, the Quorn met at OA
desbury. Ground harder than ever, and Pl°lgbiio
Melds in a state that reminded one of April. uroi,
Gorse was the first draw, and a fox was speedll)•
foot, and lost no time in making up his mind tclr
He was viewed away, and the hounds came t"ido
pretty quickly to the hallo; but the first two e,
were very dry plough; and the hounds were B°l3vet
what pressed upon, so no great way was made bail
them. A hallos forward on the grass set the
rolling, and the pace became good. Leaving 18-s-
-abli
Pasture on the left, they ran over an undeal
stiff line, down to Gaddesbury, and on, as if liel,cca
vas his point, but his heart failed him (be I°°,ooi
only a cub when he went away), and he °if'
tack, and sought shelter in a drain by A51111,,0
vile. So back to Ashby Pasture ; the first neem,o
Nimrod's never-to-be-forgotten " Quarter/y-eiteaso
run," and a fox was on foot quickly enough t° the
the most impatient. He ran round and al:1°11'000
covert, which is a tolerably sized wood, for, Snoll
time, before he could make up his mind. At let-bere
he went away towards Melton, and ' oat
seemed to be a scent as the hounds 0111,hed
`l5
of covert, but all hopes of a gallop wereld, 0
to the ground at the 'end of two
the fox had, to the disgust of every one, getter it
another drain, where he was left, to run bet,ss'ells
is to be hoped, another day. Then Thorp Tr%i,ht
afforded a third fox, but he was not a very str pro
going one, and the scent was, if possible';:orP
since the morning. He shaped his course 11 ts't for
Sackville, nearly to Twyford, then to the rig'
Ashby Folville, and so back to the scent, Wheal.; of
was lost, having probably got, like his
the morning, into some hole. • 'fb°
On Saturday Mr. Tailby's met at Barrow' 0:11
ground was harder than ever, but with a f° for A
from Ranksborough Gorse, it is impossible. eio
rider not to ride. The first fox was foundio/:3ois
Punchbowl, and went away by Somer4 iota'
Owston, and was lost after some fifteen 1:13 ottt
Then came Ranksborough Gorse, and a CO /".-Tha
of it, at the bottom, with very little pressioi!;ci on
epic
hounds got away on good terms with him'aard; leaving Lan ham on the left, over, :Pre that'of Leicestershire, up to, Barleythorp, vif,..„t,rato"
killed him. Twenty minutes, and reallyls° bear
Another fox, from Overton Park Wood, tllOl yod;
,ng to the left, went by Launde, Belton, it.
lington, and beat them after a long Pu 3rstl
nqbf
:lard day for horses. • t iirArt'4lt°
Monday, the 25th, the Quorn were a
011., clip
Stone-pits. Brudenell's Gorse was bl3iesfor„cl
Ealby Wood. They found in Lord '.0"1,1e,
covert, and ran by Schoby 6choles to g0.f.., cro.r't
lost. Then they found again in Cossing,tr,7rosslf
and ran pretty well for 35 minutes, bY
s-Lr 0,5 !c
ton and Roby, and lost him. '1 here nevi' n, 10,11
scent. On Wednesday a frost be,g.a,„or.
stopped hunting on the Thursday and .1.,1La jno veiv
Saturday and Sunday it rained hard,. %tog I°o3,
expected anything short of first-rate njuis3ppoiel.,,bi
Cher on Monday. Sportsmen were
however, as it froze so hard during
chat hunting ou the Monday was inVsboro, in 'No
frost, too, looks like lasting, having wel; to 00
the new moon ; and the wind has go; left fortoje,
disagreeable north-west, which it i
lays. I hope that my idea of its Paagii:g.--.Sect 11'5 A
taken one, and shall bo delighted to be 111/41
false prophet._Land and Water.