

EXTRAORDINARY RUNS 275 



deficient in that respect, which is more the result of 

 temper and management than capacity. There is 

 always a distinction to be made between a fast hound 

 and a quick one. The hound which is quick in turning 

 with the scent and hitting it off after a check will get 

 nearer to his fox than one that may be individually 

 more speedy, if the latter is not quick in his work. A 

 slow hound, even if he be able to hunt a cold scent, must 

 always labour under this disadvantage : not being able 

 to get forward with it so speedily when running there 

 must be a great probability of its dying away when a 

 fox makes for a distant point. 



As specimens of the stoutness occasionally evinced 

 by hounds and foxes the two following accounts of runs 

 are in all probability unequalled in the annals of fox 

 hunting. The first was with the Belvoir hounds, the 

 other with Lord Drumlanrig's ; and the communication 

 was from his lordship to the Editor of Bell's Life. 

 There are just eighteen years between the date of the 

 two, and the run with Lord Drumlanrig's hounds 

 serves to corroborate my remarks respecting the stout- 

 ness and superiority of mountain foxes. 



On Tuesday, December 18th, 1833, the Duke of 

 Rutland's hounds met at Newton Toll-bar, the wind 

 south-west and the atmosphere cold. A little before 

 twelve the hounds were thrown into Falkingham Gorse, 

 which held a varmint old fox that for three seasons 

 had beaten this pack over the same line of country, and 

 was still left to beat them again. Almost at the first 

 dash of the hounds into covert, he broke gallantly 

 6 away,' and was viewed with his head pointing for his 

 accustomed line, and " Now for the Fens," was reiter- 

 ated through the field. He went away at a rattling 

 pace with the hounds almost close to his brush, 

 passing Threckingham Town-end near the Lincoln 

 road, on to Spanby and Swaton Bridge-end, turned to 

 Thorpe Latimer for Car Dyke, up to which point Lord 

 Forester, Messrs. Charles and Robert Manners, Mr. 

 Housman, and a few others, were well up with the 



