1887-1888] SPOET FEOM SHUCKBURGH. 157 



December 14///, Lower Shnckhuryh . — Foniid at tlu^ Hill, g'ot away directly, 

 aiifl ran hard for fifteen minutes, to f,''ronud elose to Priors Marston, Bolted 

 and killed. Found at the new covert at Sawhridge, ran towards Willonghby, 

 but turned to the right, and ran, leaving- Fleeknoe a good l)it to the right, over 

 the canal by Brauustou Gorse. and over the road by Brauuston Village, and 

 by Welton Place, and lost at last owing to the fox being coursed by a dog 

 close to DaA'entry. Found again at Fleeknoe Gorse, ran a ring towards 

 Shuckburgh. and again near the gorse right up to Staverton, through the 

 Village, and on under Staverton "Wood, and turned to the left, as if for 

 Braunston ; ])ut we Avere obliged to stop the pack on account of darkness 

 setting in, or I think we should have killed him. A capital day's sport, with 

 three good runs. Coxcomb and Furley did well all day. 



December 2()th, Weston House. — Found at Whichford "Wood; got away 

 directly, and what with running hard at times, and going to holloas, we got to 

 Over Norton Park, about a four-mile point, pretty quickly. Here we got on 

 good terms with the fox. but he went to ground. On arriving at "Wolford 

 "Wood, found all the gates locked. Found a fox, however, but there was not 

 much scent, and on casting about the wood was met by the keeper and 

 ordered off, as there was to be a shooting party next day ; so had to get the 

 pack together and go home. Shades of good old Redesdale ! "What do you 

 say to this ? 



Mr. Freeman ^litford soon altered all this once more, 

 and hounds are as welcome as ever they were, at all times, 

 to Wolford Wood, and never fail in finding plenty of foxes. 



January 24th, Weston House. — Found the third fox at Blackwell Bushes ; 

 ran very pretty towards Honington, turned to the right, and ran nearly to the 

 Golden Cross, but did not cross the Fosse Road, kept bending to the right, 

 ran through Paxford Blakemore, and up to ground, after a very good run of 

 ail hour. 



March Sth, Lower Shuckburgh. — Found at the Hill, got away close to the 

 fox, and the bitches went at a tremendous pace over the road towards Napton; 

 but turned to the left, and went over the bridle road, and straight for Priors 

 Hardwick, crossing the "Welsh Road just Viy the old brickyards. They passed 

 Priors Hardwick just on the left, and crossed the large grass fields up to Mr. 

 Scriven's House at "Wonnleighton Hill, having certainly done this part of the 

 run, a six-mile point, in less than half an hour. The fox went to ground in a 

 rabbit spout so close to the hounds that their scratching at it caused him to 

 bolt, and on they went, back for Priors Marston, only lower down the Vale 

 than the way they came. On crossing the bridle road below Wonnleighton, 

 they were joined by Captain Benyou, Mr. Goodman, and the second whip, the 

 first named gentleman unfortunately getting a bad fall almost immediately 

 afterwards, and cutting his face badly. They ran on till they came to the 

 place where they had crossed the "Welsh Road the first time, where they came 

 to a check, and the master, first whip, and most of the field, who had taken a 

 wrong turn at Priors Hardwick, and had not seen a hound since, joined them. 

 A holloa forward set them right, and they marked the fox to ground in a 

 drain near Priors Marston, after a run of one hour and twenty minutes. 

 Bolted and killed him in the village, in two fields. Found again in the 

 Garden "Wood, at Shuckl)urgh, ran towards Staverton, but swung right- 

 handed over the lirook ayain, and crossed the bottom and the Braiuiston 



