THE FARNDALE. 151 



name. Only this season (1907-8), Bentley, the Bilsdale 

 huntsman, told Lord Helmsley some of those who walked 

 hounds thought as much about them as of their wives. 



In Joe Duck's long era of office, the Farndale, like 

 the Bilsdale, hunted hare one day and fox the next. Tuesday 

 was the day set apart for hunting Reynard, and Friday for 

 running ' puss,' but from what I can hear they were never 

 very particular so long as ' they gat a hoont.' I am told 

 they killed 27 hares on one day during Joe Duck's time, 

 and it is stated that though they often accounted for a con- 

 siderable number, hares were more plentiful in the locality 

 than is the case now, the argument being that farmers would 

 preserve them when they were showing some sport in which 

 they could participate. As Mr. Alexander pointed out to me, 

 ' Farmers were ever the best keepers.' He tells me that if 

 a fox got up when they were hunting hare they would at 

 once leave the chase of puss, whilst they would not leave 

 the line of a fox for a hare if one got up from her form almost 

 amongst them. I should hardly have thought this with a 

 pack with which there must necessarily have been much riot 

 and not a great deal of control, but that is what I am told. 



What Sir A. E. Pease says regarding the Roxby Hounds, 

 which were hunting within walking distance of the Farndale 

 country, will be equally appropriate to the latter pack, and 

 seems to confirm what Mr. Alexander told me : — 



The " Roxby Hounds," prior to 1817, hunted fox and hare on 

 alternate days ; and hounds always knew, so it is said, which they had 

 to hunt, for being thrown into covert meant fox, ranging the fallows 

 meant hare ; besides, they always cheered the hounds by naming the 

 quarry; and there are a few old men still (1887) hunting with the 

 Cleveland Hounds who remember old Tommy Page, long after hare 

 hunting had been discontinued, crying out as hounds were drawing, 

 " Dancer, a fox ! " ; "Sly Lad, a fox ! " I believe this practice of 

 hunting hares with foxhounds, and of hunting foxes with harriers was 

 common enough, although neither Sly Lad nor Dancer, nor any other 

 hound in the pack, dreamt of rinding anything but a fox when drawing 

 coverts. 



Thus one finds the master of the Glaisdale Harriers 

 (Mr. W. Brown), whose country adjoins the Farndale, saying 



