194 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



Yorkshire, Lord Willoughby de Brooke from 

 Warwickshire, and Lord Lonsdale from Blankney. 

 They could not have come on a worse occa- 

 sion, for it was very stormy all day, foxes ran 

 short, and we had a poor scent. Late in the 

 day, when they had all left us, we had a nice 

 spin," said Frank, referring to his diary. During 

 the cubbing time hounds did plenty of hard work, 

 "the fifteen couple of youngsters entering well, 

 except Magic and Mystery by South Notts Mounte- 

 bank. On September 18th, on a very hot morning, 

 we were at Rauceby by six o'clock, and in the 

 saddle twelve hours. Again on the 25th we left 

 kennels at 4 A.M. and returned 4 P.M. What 

 with thorn -hunting afterwards, attending to the 

 lame, and making hounds comfortable for the night, 

 the whippers-in were in hard condition by the time 

 the season proper commenced." 



The opening day on November 3rd at Leaden- 

 ham House was wet, and seventeen and a half 

 couple of the little pack were out, who quickly 

 accounted for a fox in the Hill-top Covert. The 

 second run was started from Colonel Willson's 

 Gorse, and they ran nicely, marking to ground in 

 Wellingore Gorse, one of the Blankney coverts. 

 Lord Lonsdale was out, and he offered to bolt the 

 fox with one of his wire-haired terriers. 



A red-letter day resulted from Staunton on 7th. 

 A fine old fox was roused in Cotham Thorns, 

 going away by Bennington and Claypole to Stubton, 

 where the pack divided with a fresh fox in Codding- 

 ton Plantation, one lot marking to ground, the 



