56 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



have galloped up the hill to Tilton. When the line 

 was recovered, scent seemed to have changed and 

 our fox eventually beat us at Owston Wood. A 

 fortnight later we again found our old friend at 

 Barkby Holt, and through the field being drawn up 

 on the side he wished to break, he was obliged to 

 take a turn round Croxton village before he could 

 get on his favourite track. The pace was good at 

 the start, but soon degenerated into a slow hunting 

 run, and was a very poor imitation of the great 

 gallop over the same line. On this occasion the 

 fox was lost soon after passing Tilton, though he 

 no doubt went on to Owston Wood. Now comes 

 the sad part of the story. The following Friday 

 the meet was at Beeby, and Mr. Coupland could not 

 resist the temptation of having another try at the 

 old customer. There was a strong wind blowing, 

 and hounds drew the Holt up wind. The gallant 

 fox, who had already given us three good runs, was 

 resting from his exertions of the previous week, 

 and hounds were upon him before he knew they 

 were in covert. His stiffened limbs refused to act, 

 and in this ignominious fashion died the hero of 

 the season's best gallop. 



On Monday, loth December, we had a very 

 good run from Ragdale Wood and killed our fox 

 at Clawson village. The first five-and-twenty 

 minutes to old Dalby Wood were very fast. It 

 was in the afternoon, and the field had assumed 

 reasonable dimensions. I can see the hounds now 

 as they raced over those flat twitch-grown fields 

 that lie to the north of Shoby Scoles, and Mr. 

 Beaumont Lubbock popping over a gate just before 

 we crossed the Shoby Lane. What fun it was ! 



