MR. H. W. SELBY LOWNDES AS M.F.H. 131 



a bagged fox in Mr. Lowndes' era — the Bilsdale were ever 

 rather partial to " baggies." There is no doubt that 

 when he was in Yorkshire, the Bilsdale pack with Mr. 

 Lowndes at their head, showed some of the most wonderful 

 runs enjoyed in the county, and it must also be admitted, 

 that not a few of these were after bagged foxes. In a 

 country of rock and mountain, moor and dell, with possible- 

 blank days, peopled by a wonderfully sporting community 

 who love to track foxes, it is difficult to prevent an occasional 

 fox being trapped, and once caught, if hounds do not run 

 him it is possible they will never again have the chance.* 

 So, unfashionable, and in a measure unsportsmanlike, as it 

 may be, the moorland M.F.H. has little alternative. A word 

 regarding one of these days with another pack may be 

 appropriate and interesting here. I take the following from 

 my diary : — 



I went down in time to see them bagging the fox. First some of the- 

 bedding on which it had laid, strong of excreta, was placed at the 

 bottom of a sack to make scent lay stronger, whilst to still further 

 enhance it, some " torpetine," as they call it, was poured on each pad 

 and on the brush, anniseed not being procurable in the dale-. 

 This was after some preliminary arguments as to who should 

 " tak hod on him." The fox was held by " the lugs," then 

 dropped, brush first, into the poke, the huntsman keeping hold 

 of him till the mouth of the poke had been closed up so as to only admit 

 of his hand being withdrawn. I felt sorry, I must confess, for the 

 poor beast, whose chance was such a poor one. We then adjourned to 

 the inn near " to wet his head," as it was termed, such toasts as " Well, 

 here's hoping he'll give us a good hunt," and " Here's to t' yan 'at gits 

 his brush," being drunk. All the youth of the locality had turned out 

 on foot, and quite a cavalcade moved down the road to the place 

 chosen for " tonnin' on him doon." The hounds, which were un- 

 mistakably " kittle," knowing there was something extraordinary in the 

 wind, were fastened in a cart-shed, and howled with impatience. Down 



*I have heard that in olden days some of the Bilsdale sportsmen 

 used to dig out foxes in Snotterdale (above Faceby) and elsewhere, 

 then take them to the next fixture of the Cleveland and sell them to 

 Andrew. Since then, it has always been a custom to have a bagged 

 fox if possible at Martinmas, when the dale lads are all home from 

 their situations for a week's holiday. 



