1893] A WOODLAKD DAY. 249 



Found immediately, and, after one burst round the wood, the fox stole 

 away across the valley to Dimnington, leaving Mr. Bomford's homestead 

 on the left, crossed tlio Broom lane, and rattled down the big fields to 

 Tothall at best pace. Here he turned to the riglit, and crossed Mr. 

 Standish's farm, over the Evesham Road at Lime Bridge Hill, dropping 

 down one plough field of Mr. Jackson's into his long meadows, following 

 the proposed line of the railway from Broom to Worcester for about 

 a mile; still bearing to the right, leaving Pool Wood on the left, across 

 the Worcester Road, skirting Weethley Woods for two fields, and pointing 

 for Weethley Church. Here, being probably headed, he turned short 

 back for Weethley Wood. Some circus work here took place at a deep 

 scoured-out ditch. Meantime the master had got through a cramped gap 

 and a couple of gates straight as a die aci'oss Weethley Wood and out at the 

 bottom. The fortunate ones who stuck close to houuds now hoped for a real 

 gallop over the Worcestershire Vale ; but it was not to be yet, for, after working 

 along outside for a few fields, houuds went into covert again, and for the best 

 part of a mile up this long wood probably no one but the master (with Jack in 

 the centre ride, on his right, and Tom, on the grey, below him on the left) knew 

 that they were hunting. They feathered out for a minute at the Knighton 

 cross ride, but his lordship evidently thought that his fox was forward, and 

 cast them on into the Nunnery Wood. Two hounds, hunting as if coupled, 

 fairly made out the line across two fields towards Little Knighton Farm. Tom 

 stopped them, and l)rought his lordship back, and in another two minutes he 

 had nearly the whole of his l)oautiful pack on the line. Tliey hunted slowly 

 down to the bottom of Nunnery Wood, and then, crossing the Knighton 

 Road, headed once more for the Vale. The third field from here was prickly 

 with barbed wire, and the knowing ones, hearing a holloa right away on 

 Knowl Hill beyond the brook, slipiied oiit on to the Inkberrow Road, and 

 galloped on to the bridge. Here they waited for five minutes, while the bidk 

 of the field were penned up in the corner by the wire ; but there must liave 

 been two foxes, and, the hounds turning short to the left, they had to gallop 

 at best pace up to Knighton Farm, only to see them streaming away to the 

 left back to Weethley. Here all got together again in the Moreton footpath, 

 and after a short turn up the wood a welcome holloa ^jroclaimed that a fox 

 was away again for the Ridgeway. This they crossed with an improving 

 scent, and dropped down and through Thornhill, Old Park, and Three Oak 

 Hill Woods in succession. As they crossed Purser's Meadow Miss Gregg 

 had a nasty fall, but was soon up and after them. Crossing Mrs. Parker's 

 farm and the Alcester and Feckenham road, they hunted slowly through 

 Butler's Coppice into Coughton Park, turning short to the left up the broad 

 ride, and away again across the open to Hanging Well, threading this and 

 the two plantations beyond into Ashlands Husk. Here he turned short vip to 

 the right, and rattled back over exactly the same line he had come into Coughton 

 Park. Hounds pushed him steadily on (notwithstanding two fresh foxes being 

 viewed) out on the Alcester side, across the Midland Railwaj^ and a couple of 

 fields beyond, over the Alcester and Birmingham i-oad, to the Roman Catholic 

 church at Coughton, tlirough the Decoy, and back through the kitchen 

 garden of Coughton Court into the Decoy again, the field having crossed the 

 river at the foi'd, and recrossed over the footbridge into the stable yard. 

 Here, Just as his lordship was crossing the ford to cast forward, our fox 

 came straight through a crowd of footpeople in the Decoy, and, crossing 



