1884^ HOUNDS UNDEK GROUND. 125 



From Sir C. Mordaiint's diary : 



Tliore was a very fine, warm spring- until May (i. wlii'u it tui-iicd i-old. and 

 there wa^s a lieavy fall of snow in Scotland, where it lay six indies (h'ep for 

 four days. All the young grouse were destroyed. On August 12th there wa.s 

 a territie thunderstorm, which lasted eleven hours, and a tree close to our 

 liouse was knocked all to pieces by lightning. 1 had very good deerstalking, 

 and during twenty-seven days killed eighty-seven stags. Thrett^ of these 

 weighed 18st. each, and one had a very curious head, with three separate 

 horns. 



From Ijortl AVilloiigliby de Broke's diary : 



SEASON 1884-85. 



First days cubhuuting on Se})tember 2nd. 



September 27t]i. — Found the second fox at Warwick Park, ))ut a man from 

 L'amington rode into the middle of the hounds, and liis horse kicked Banish 

 and smashed her thigh. Stojjped the hounds, and took them home. 



October 30th, Pebworth. — Ran to ground in a drain nearWelford. Flasher 

 went in and killed the fox. and we dug down to him. and got tliem both out. 

 Talbot and Nonsuch were both missing, and we could make nothing out, but 

 heard that tliey were seen running a fox further on. Next day I s(nit Jack, 

 who had the drain up. and got them out at five o'clock They had been over 

 thirty hours in the drain, and fifty-six hours without food. They lioth re- 

 covered. A most wonderful October. Hardly a drop of rain during the 

 whole month; the ground as hard as iron now, so that many packs have not 

 advertised for next week, and many others have left off cubhunting ; the 

 pools in tlie fields all dry, and the brooks lower than I ever remember in the 

 hottest part of the summer. Tlie weather is as warm as June, and the leaves 

 are all on the trees and hedges. 



First day of open hunting November '3rd, Walton Hall.- — Three or four 

 foxes in Walton Wood.* Took one to Thornton Wood, and ran him to ground 

 close to it. Found a ringing one at Moll's Grave ; lost near Combroke, 

 Found at Pillerton Old Covert, ran hard to Brickkiln Gorse, where the fox 

 stopped, and was nearly killed. Ran back, leaving Pillerton Old Covert on 

 the right, through the Oak Fields and Kineton Holt to Miller's Gorse — a very 

 pretty gallop. The earths all open and gates all locked up, so we could do no 

 good at the Hills. 



November 14'th, Wroxton Abbey.- — Found at Claydon Hill, ran a ring 

 nearly to Shut ford and back, and lost at Wroxton: Found at Hanwell 

 Cojjpice, and ran very well for twenty-five mimites to White's Bushes, and 



* A remarkable incident is related in the Spurtiny Mayuzine of 1840 as having 

 taken place near Walton Wood. Even foxhounds which have before been steady, after 

 too much rest frequently become wild and ungovernable. Some years ago, when Lord 

 Middleton hunted Warwickshire, and the above pack stood as high in the estimation of 

 fox hunters as any in the world, a most unfortunate occurrence took place, and which 

 is a convincing proof that during any part of the year, when the pack are not at work, 

 they cannot have too much strong exercise. After a long and severe frost, the hounds 

 met at Walton Wood, and having forced a fox into the open, were running him hard 

 with a fair scent, when suddenly they changed his line for that of a dark red coloured 

 dog, which had no doubt been cour.sing him, and fairly ran into him and ate him before 

 anyone could get to them to stop them. 



