Seventh Hunt: Dr. Billinghurst Wins His Red Coat The last hunt of the year was laid by Messrs. E. $. Benbow Rowe and A. J. P. Heard, on Saturday last, and proved to be an excellent run in the country beyond Siccawei. The occasion was favoured with pleasant weather conditions, and bright sunshine enlivened the proceedings, while the slight rainfall of the previous week had rendered the going ideal. The start was at Springfield at 3 p.m., and promptly to time a large number of riders and their friends put in an appearance, and, under the baton of Mr. N. L. Sparke, a select group indulged in hunting songs, until the time arrived for the Master to make his usual speech.
At last the word was given, and with loud shouts and cries of joy, the hunt dashed forward over the well known Springfield Line, which is some half a mile in length, while the spectators, massed at the second jump, cried encouragement to those whose difficulties had there begun.
From Springfield Line, the hunt swung away to the right, Dr. Billinghurst well in the lead, evidently determined this time to win his "pink" or perish in the attempt short check took place towards London Town, but the Teaders immediately rectified their mistake, and, crossing by a new platform, arrived at. Benbow's Dry Cut; always a formidable obstacle, and which now claimed its usual toll of victims.
Meantime, Mr. E. Schoch had taken the lead, and the hunt dashed after him up, the Via Media, over the platform at the top, then the Serpentine, where some stayed looking at the cold cold water, then on to the back of Jim's Joys and over the Wobbly Creek Jump beyond. Mr. Schoch continued in the lead, through the Tortugas Passage, whence the Hunt emerged to encounter a new line of cut jumps, short in length, but broad in span, not inappropriately called the Boobytraps. Still Mr. Schoch sped on riding a veritable steeplechase, and carrying with him a band of followers, far, far into the west, far off any possible line of paper, and where they got to nobody knows, for this steeplechasing bunch of riders never troubled apparently to look For paper, but thought they knew the way without it, and they were never seen again.
Meantime the true trail had been discovered at the Only Way, whence paper led over one or two nice jumps, and riders found themselves on another check, which proved a regular wilderness, till eventually the way out was found through Harper's Hole. An excellent run homewards now began, riders streaming past the township of Hungjao, round the Pothook Creek. and over a new platform, and round
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.