112 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. 



December .t^iid, when the meet was at Ihiiington, was 

 a memorable day. It was intended to draw Foxcote, but 

 owing to complaints made by some of the farmers near 

 Meon Hill, that a fox in that neighbourhood had taken 

 their poultry, it was decided to draw for him ; this fox was 

 so well known that he had been coursed regularly once a 

 week for the last two months. He did not care for this, 

 as greyhounds were not at this time fast enough to catch 

 a good fox, but at a later period they became much more 

 destructive, whenever this unsportsmanlike pursuit was 

 practised. As soon as the lioTuids had drawn some of the 

 small coverts on the hill, there was the holloa of a fox 

 gone away, the hounds at once went to it, and got away 

 close to him. He left the hill at once, and took to the 

 Evesham Yale. Leaving Lower Quinton to the right, and 

 Lower Peb worth on his left, he passed through Marston 

 Grrounds, over the brook, and between Marston and 

 Dorsino'ton to Hillingdon Farm, where he was hard 

 pressed about the yards and buildings, and again took to 

 the Yale ; and, skirting Pebworth Grorse, he was killed in 

 the open, on the top of Rumer Hill, after a run of an 

 hour and live minutes without a check, the hounds not 

 having been cast once during the whole time. The head 

 of this fox, a present from Mr. Thornhill, was preserved in 

 a glass case and placed in the Hunt room at the Warwick 

 Arms, with an account of the run written imderneath it. 

 Only five saw^the run : Mr. Thornhill, on his brown horse 

 Posby, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Smith, Bill Boxall, and Tom 

 Day. 



The anxiety, perseverance, and resolution of a hunts- 

 man occur to us here. On one occasion Bill Barrow had 

 been thrown out by his hounds, and a gentleman farmer 

 living near the ^^covert in which they wTre running heard 

 them. He was not out on tluit day, but he was too good 

 a sportsman to mar the enjoyment of others by heading a 

 fox, so he pulled up his horse and stood still by a hedge- 

 side, and ill a few minutes the fox went away, and passed 

 across the field within sight of him ; the hounds were then 



