1 66 Frank Beers' Diaries. [1882-83. 



and I put this down to be the best and most satisfactory 

 run I have ever seen. We hardly went into half a dozen- 

 ploughed fields during the whole run. We had 19 

 couples of bitches, and one couple of dogs, making 

 twenty couples. Every hound was there at the finish, 

 and I never saw hounds run and hunt better, or run 

 stouter. I rode Jersey and Comrade. 



" 1883. Jan. 19th. — Astwell Mill. My first time out 

 after my attack of asthma. Found a fox close to 

 Astwell Pond, aw^ay for Wappenham, by Weedon 

 Bushes, past Oakley Bank to Blakesley Hall, Plumpton 

 Wood to the left, to Maidford, lost him there, dead beat. 

 Found another fox in Plumpton Wood, ran by Preston 

 Church Wood through Badby Wood, nearly to Catesby, 

 through Staveton Wood, Daventry to the right, and 

 lost him about half a mile from Braunston Gorse. A 

 capital day's sport, only wanted a kill to have made it A i. 



''Feb. i6th. — Syresham. Found in Whistley Wood, 

 ran fast through Halse Coppice and Cockley Brake, 

 Farthinghoe to the right, to Newbottle, on to Croughton, 

 back to Newbottle ; he dodged about some time, and 

 they killed their fox. 



" March 2nd. — Astwell Mill. Found in Weedon 

 Bushes, ran by Culworth Village to Edgecote, and 

 killed him — an hour and twenty minutes; ran well 

 together, a capital run. Several Leicestershire gentlemen 

 out, and said it was the best run they had seen this 

 season. Found in Allithorn ; away, leaving Colonel 

 Hutchinson's covert to the left, nearly to Astwell Mill up 

 to Helmdon, where they ran into him. About fifty-five 

 minutes. I rode Thistle and Comrade." 



April 13th. — Ravenstone, to finish the season. Ran 

 all day without killing a fox ; but a very hard day for 

 hounds. 



