CLEVELAND AND ESKDALE. 177 



brilliant could take place during tlie first season ; 

 but any deficiency in this way was more tlian 

 made up for by the brilliant season of 1887-88. 

 The record reads well, viz : — Ninety- seven days 

 out, one blank day, caused by a heavy snowstorm 

 which prevented the country being all drawn, 

 thirty-five brace killed, and thirty-two and a half 

 brace run to ground. And most of the ninety- 

 seven days were very good ones, foxes ran stoutly, 

 and were handsomely accounted for, and many a 

 famous run was enjoyed when inland packs, less 

 fortunate, could not get out of the kennel for 

 snow and frost. They had one very brilliant 

 day in the west country of which notice should 

 be taken. The meet was at Newton village, and 

 Blackmoor Plantation the first draw. A fox was 

 found at once which gave them a very fast ring 

 of twenty-five minutes before he was pulled down 

 close to where he was found. The second fox 

 hailed from Seamer Whin, and the hounds, getting 

 a flying start with him, pressed him so hard that 

 he ran the road for nearly a mile and a half before 

 a trifling inequality of the roadside gave him an 

 opportunity of slipping his pursuers for a short 

 time and facing the country. They ran hard for 

 thirty-three minutes, finally pulling their fox 

 down in the open near Hilton village. The run 

 was not quite straight, but if it had been none 

 would have got to the end so hot was the pace, 

 and as it was only a few saw the finish. 



N 



