SPLENDID RUN WITH THE HAMBLEDON HOUNDS.
Mr Editor—On Friday week met at Upham Pond and found at a quarter to twelve o’clock in a covert adjoining Winter's Hill Common.The crash that ensued foretold something out of the common way, and in truth the rush for a good place was somewhat dangerous. The hounds streamed across the meadows and plough lands towards Upham, turned to the right through Grassteads, across the heavy fallows skirting Ashton, and bearing away slightly to the left sunk the valley to Cleverley Wood, where the field expected a check. The slow ones, however, were not a little disappointed, for we went straight through the covert, over Corhampton Down, and touching neither Bottom Coppice nor Hazelholt, made straight for Beacon Hill, crossing one side of which we descended the fine vale of Exton and Warnford, skirted the last-mentioned village, and ascended into the H. H. country. Here we had only five well up; a fog had come on, some lost their shoes, some their horses, some themselves altogether. Still the pack raced on a mile and a half of open country, skirted Lipping Wood, and leaving Westmeon to the right took the open again straight for that village, and the furze near "The Hut." We then crossed the Petersfield and Winchester road and ran straight across two fields, but reynard finding the hounds too close upon him, turned short back into Brookwood. Up to this point there was no check, and we had ridden, as the crow flies, twelve miles in an hour and ten minutes, over a variety of trying ground. Thence skirting Blackhouse, we pushed on to Kilmister and Blaworth, where the hounds threw up at a stable window, ready open for the noble fugitive. Every cast was made round the buildings, and every search among the capacious barns, &c., of Mr Mulcock, but reynard had securely hidden himself, and will live, we hope, to give us as good, though we trust a more successful run another day. This is considered to be the quickest and best run that has been seen for many a day, and quite cheering, as the hounds have been severely afflicted by kennel lameness. It must have been gratifying to the worthy master and his clever huntsman, and I hope ere long to join them again in the field.
TOP BOOTS.