1873-74] Frank Beers' Diaries. 137 



the fox running away to Helmdon, over the road, across 

 Stuchbury grass fields, leaving Sulgrave on the left, and 

 away at the back of Weedon, across the grass to Oakley 

 Bank to ground; the fox just saved his brush. Found 

 again at Plumpton, and ran to ground at Adstone. 



'' Feb. 2nd. — Adstone. Found a brace of foxes lying in 

 a field between Adstone and Canons Ashby; went away 

 with a capital start to Preston, round by Ganderton 

 Spinney, back to Mantel's Heath, leaving Everdon on 

 the right, short back to Little Preston Wood to Mantel's 

 Heath, where we killed him. Found again in Charwelton 

 osier-bed, away to within one field of Griffin's Gorse, to 

 the right pointing for Staverton, over the grass field, 

 back to Fawsley, and we stopped the hounds going into 

 Badby Wood. A very hard day. 18 couples bitches. 



" 1874. Feb. 28th. — A bye-day at Sootfield Green. 

 Found in Leckhampstead Wood ; with a good scent 

 hounds ran for an hour in covert and went away point- 

 ing for Foxcote, turned to Wicken Spinneys, then towards 

 Leckhampstead, where they caught him. An hour and 

 thirty minutes. Found again in Wicken Spinneys, ran 

 fast through Leckhampstead Wood, over the open, past 

 Puxley into the forest ; across the Lawn, back past the 

 Pond-head, into Dairy quarter. They killed him after 

 fifty-eight minutes. Found again in Redmere. With a 

 capital scent hounds raced across the Pheasantry into 

 Lady Coppice, where they ran hard for an hour and ten 

 minutes and killed him. A capital day ; hounds proved 

 themselves almost untirable. Every hound wxnt home 

 and fed well, which I consider speaks volumes for health 

 and condition. 



" March 2nd. — Stowe-Nine-Churches. Found, and 

 after a ring or two in covert went away towards 

 Daventry ; lost the fox at Dodford. 



