14 FOXHUNTING ON LAKELAND FELLS 



experiences of struggling down to civilisation in 

 the dark, and I much prefer to do it when there is 

 at least some Uttle hght to guide me on the proper 

 route. 



I remember once crossing the top of Red 

 Screes by moonlight, after hounds had run their 

 fox to ground at Dod Bields earth in Caiston. 

 It was a briUiant night, however, and we had not 

 the least difficulty in reaching the " Traveller's 

 Rest " inn, at the head of the Kirkstone Pass. 



In the foregoing I have perhaps laid rather too 

 great stress upon the bad weather in the fell 

 country, therefore, I will hasten to add that the 

 winter chmate of the Lakeland dales is exception- 

 ally mild. Two thousand feet or more, of course, 

 makes a lot of difference in cUmatic conditions, 

 and those who do not care to face the exigencies of 

 the high tops can still see much sport with hounds 

 if they stick to the lower reaches of the fells. 



Sometimes the people in the bottom see a great 

 deal more than those on top, and, of course, from 

 below one gets a panoramic view of a hunt, with 

 the entire fell side as the scene of operations. A 

 car, a motor cycle, or even the humble " push-bike " 

 are extremely useful at times during the course of a 

 run with the fell hounds. Occasionally, as, for 

 instance, in the Thirlmere valley, hounds run for a 

 considerable distance parallel with the main road. 

 At such times a car or a cycle enables you to slip 



