I08 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



hold them on to Canfield Thrift? " He, died on March 31st, 

 1853, and persons now Hving vouch for the story that 

 duriny his last hours his hounds uttered a low mournful 

 howl as if aware that they were about to lose their old 

 master. 



There is an old foxhunting saying that foxes always 

 run to a dying man, and it certainly received what would 

 appear to be a striking confirmation in the case of Mr. 

 Conyers, as shortly before his decease, and while he was 

 confined to his bed, hounds thrice ran to within a gunshot 

 of Copt Hall. On one occasion hounds ran from Ongar 

 Park Wood to Epping Plain. There the scent failed 

 altogether, but a friendly holloa showed that the fox had 

 run the road for a short distance, and hounds eventually 

 succeeded in hitting off the fox on the right of the road 

 — towards Copt Hall. The fox had lain down, and on 

 being: fresh found ran as straioht as an arrow for the 

 house, and was pulled down just outside the gates. On 

 another occasion the pack had drawn a long stretch of 

 country blank ; but a fox jumped up in a field near the 

 Wake Arms and ran to the stables at Copt Hall, where 

 he was lost, and thirdly, a fox from Latton Park went 

 straight for the house. 



Mr. Conyers unfortunately left no son to succeed 



