294 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



two followlnsf.and both these occurred during;- his first season, 

 and on two consecutive Saturdays. The first was from 

 Houndon (near West Hanningfield), when hounds Icilled 

 between the Fortune of War and Laindon Hills ; the first 

 part was slow up to Downham Church, but from that point 

 the pack were always on better terms with their fox till they 

 killed him. Cray's Wood was the only covert of any size 

 touched. The following week, while drawing Rook Wood, 

 hounds demonstrated pretty plainly the presence of a fox 

 under a faggot stack in the covert. He was very soon 

 given notice to quit, the Squire of Runwell being foremost 

 in helping to eject him. Hounds got away on nice terms 

 with him, and, putting his head due north, the fox ran fast 

 up to and through Blackmore Highwoods without dwelling 

 for a moment. The writer will never forget the cry of 

 hounds and the pace at which they drove him through these 

 woodlands. From here through Parson's Spring they took 

 him via Horseley Park up to Skreens. Here we had the 

 first check of any consequence, and it looked any odds on 

 the fox, as in such a good covert a fresh fox was so likely 

 to jump up. As luck would have it our master, who cast 

 carefully round the covert, descried a ploughman waving his 

 hat some two fields away, and getting hounds on the line 

 again, though with a cold scent, he hunted his fo.x up to 



