MB. THOMAS PARRINGTON. 227 



but I forget where. Grant * said he was the biggest fox he had ever seen, 

 and had him weighed. His weight was 18-lbs. just a pound less than 

 the Sinnington fox. As he was not at all torn, Grant had him stuffed. 

 I may add that most practical men with whom I have talked over the 

 weight of foxes agree with Mr. Parrington's estimate of it. A fox is a 

 very little animal when he is skinned, or when he is so wet that the fur 

 clings flatly to his sides. 



Mr. Dixon tells us of an excellent gallop in February, 1877. 



" The late Lord Helmsley," says our author, " had been anxious 

 that some of his friends should see the Sinnington in a good country, 

 and, accordingly, Mr. Parrington arranged to meet at Harome. Lord 

 Helmsley, Lord Castlereagh (now the Marquess of Londonderry), the 

 late Hon. James Duncombe, Captain Byng, and others of the party 

 were given the opportunity of a day. Muscoates was the first draw, 

 and as Mr. Parrington got to the end of the whin at which he generally 

 stood, he viewed the fox away with Joyful close at her brush. Luckily 

 he was able to stop her, and Parker got his hounds away well together. 

 They changed at Normanby, and ran by Wrelton and Kirbymisperton ; 

 went straight to Yeddingham Lane, where they killed him. Alas J 

 for the dinner at Helmsley. The Hon. James Duncombe was the 

 only one of the guests who turned up, and his host and he were late, 

 and owed their presence to not getting to the far end." 



The others had trained home with their horses from 

 Malton. A correspondent sent me a list of those who saw 

 the end of this run. They were Lord Helmsley, Lord 

 Castlereagh, Captain Byng, Mr. Robert Lesley, Dr. Watt, 

 Miss Rose Kendall (who rode one horse throughout the day 

 and secured the brush), Messrs. R. Hicks, T. Cattle, T. 

 Colley, J. Wilson, Jack Parker, and the late R. Dixon. 

 Some time ago, I wrote an account of this run to a sporting 

 paper, and the following letter was sent in reply to my 

 article : — 



" One or two mistakes occur in the accounts of this famous run. 

 ' Jack' was not in at the death, but turned up later, as did Tom Horsman. 

 In fact, we had with us neither master, huntsman, nor whip. Poor 

 Mr. Parrington (long may he live !) was most unfortunate, his horse 

 falling into a deep drain, and needing several men to get him out. 

 Our unlucky master was in great trouble as I passed the spot, declaring 

 that he would rather lose a hundred pounds than miss the finish of that 

 run. The Soan was jumped by about a dozen of us, of whom, being 

 the last to take it, I can remember only Ralph Dixon and Bob Hicks, 

 both long gone to the happy hunting-ground. Had the fox not turned 

 off then to meet ' t' Marton chaps ' (including ' Jack,' whom I can see 



*Ex-Huntsman of Lord Middleton's Hounds. 



