THE WOODLAND PYTCHLEY 313 



the season, a Laxton meet and a large crowd from 

 other Hunts which had finished. Everything looked 

 unpromising ; and by four o'clock we had done practi- 

 cally nothing, when a fox went away from Deene- 

 thorpe Spinney towards the village, and being headed, 

 turned sharp along the hill above Bulwick and down 

 over the brook, which stopped everybody except a 

 lady on a grey, John Isaac, and one other man. But 

 they gained little ; for a short check let the field up, 

 and half an hour's run ended by Laxton Yillage. 



I may say, however, that none of these were typical 

 Woodland runs, such as was that of the 30th of 

 December 1890, when they found at the Hermitage 

 Wood ; ran by Pipewell and Weekley Hall Wood, 

 and killed in Geddington Yillage, doing the seven- 

 mile point in three-quarters of an hour. 



The following is perhaps a more unusual style of 

 hunt. Finding in Weekley Hall Wood, notably a poor- 

 scenting covert, it was some time before they could 

 force their fox away. Presently, however, he crossed 

 the valley and the iron-stone workings, and leaving 

 Newton village to his right, ran by Little Oakley 

 and the Sart nearly to Geddington Chase. Here he 

 must have been headed, for he turned suddenly back 

 to the Sart and the village, and went up the hill to 

 Oakley Purlieus. In this extensive wood he kept 

 hounds busy for some time, but at last he broke over 

 the railway towards Corby Yillage, and was killed 

 in the open, the run having occupied an hour and 

 three quarters. 



It was in the Woodland Pytchley country that 

 poor Goodall handled his very last fox, hounds killing 

 him in the village street of Stoke. 



