SEASON 1886-87 203 



to ground at Sysonby, greatly pleasing a stranger 

 in the field, Mr. Edward D. Adams, a banker from 

 New York. On December 7th a nice gallop from 

 Marston Platts to Carlton, and a better one in the 

 afternoon from Jericho Wood to Marston, a brush 

 coming to hand at the end of each. Under the 

 ban of foul weather during the second week of 

 December all the field melted away in a whirling 

 snowstorm, excepting Messrs. James and Arthur 

 Hutchinson, who stuck to hounds, and went fox- 

 catching to Harrowby Gorse with Gillard when the 

 storm was over. 



Another good day's sport was enjoyed on 

 December 15th in very foggy weather with the 

 country nearly all under water. After drawing 

 Sproxton Thorns blank, and killing a fox in Coston 

 Covert, one was bolted from the artificial earths 

 and took a bee line away past Crown Point to 

 Woodwell Head, going through it like a shot, 

 passing to the left of Market Overton and Barrow 

 without checking until Cottesmore was reached. 

 Changed foxes by Exton Park and made straight 

 for Greetham Wood, hunting slowly towards 

 Thistleton, losing all trace in darkness by Morkary 

 Wood. Two days' sport rolled into one, if you 

 will follow it by the map. Moreover, the greater 

 part of the journey was over a wild wet country 

 which carries a scent. 



From December 17th to January 21st any num- 

 ber degrees of frost were registered, and people 

 skated on the high roads, which were a sheet of 

 slippery ice. During such hateful periods of in- 



