I30 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



reader's notice. The first was written by the Master, J. \\. INIacfie, and 

 communicated to the J'/e/J. The second by C. T. Dixon, who being 

 throughout tlie run in the most forward position, is the best autliority as to 

 tlie exact course of tiie hounds. Tlie third was written by tlie compiler of 

 this book, who liad the hicic to be among those wlio were up at the kiU, 

 being one of the three wliips mentioned in the Master's account, Dixon and 

 1). C Scott being the others. The two ladies who gallantly struggled on to 

 the cm], and who deserved to have been in at the death — five or ten minutes 

 alone separating them from this desirable result — were the Misses Gertrude 

 and Hikla Bevis, who frequently hunt with the Cheshire Beagles, and are 

 among the lady subscribers to that pack of hounds. 



Extract from " The Eicld," January JSth, 1S90. 



ROYAL ROCK BEAGLEf^. 



In this season of l)i_i,^ runs with hare hounds, it niav be interesting to some 

 of your readers to hear what an old fashioned pack, as a correspondent called 

 the Royal Rock, have been doing, so I \enture to send an account of last 

 Saturday's (Jan. ii) sport. The meet was at the Glegg Arms, Gayton, and 

 one o'clock. A very good muster there was of members, ladies, and boys from 

 school, looking fit and keen. There was a longlsh draw before a hare was 

 found, hid, after a wild night, behind a gorse bush on Carnsdale House Farm, 

 Barnston. The hounds being on the other side of the hedge she got well 

 away, and it was a minute or two before they were quietly laid on. Scent did 

 not seem too good, and the hounds had a little difficulty at first in settling to it ; 

 however they stuck to it and ran towards Barnston Towers a field or two. and 

 turned up through some small crofts towards Heswall. Seeing someone in 

 her way, she turned and ran on to the clay lands of Gayton; and the hounds 

 fairly raced over Ga\'ton and past Backwood on to Leighton Hall Farm, and 

 turning east ran past Westwood, the residence of the popular Master of the 

 Wirral Harriers, and over the Neston Road, on to and over a wheal field. 

 Here the first check occurred, owing to the hare having dodged a little. 

 After the hounds had had their tr}-, the huntsman, Jonathan Cole, by a 

 judicious cast, hit off the line near where puss left the wheat field, and the 

 danger from too many enthusiastic and over-zealous friends and fresh hares was 

 got over. The little pack streamed away past Thornton Hough and Stanacres, 

 crossing the Raby road at Raby Vale, and bending towards Raby Mere. On 

 and on was the cry, over Hargrave and Raby House Farm, leaving Willaston 

 village on the right, and over the Hooton road, to within a field of the Parkgate 

 railway, where as bold a hare as ever stood up before hounds gave up its life. 

 One hour and fifty minutes, with only one check (of fifteen minutes) worth 

 mentioning, crossing ten public roads and several field lanes ; five miles as the 

 crow flics from find to kill, by measurement on the Ordnance Survey Map. 

 About a dozen of the field were up at the kill, among whom were three of the 

 whips, several members, some youngsters from school, and two of the ladies 

 immediately after. It being now late, and a long way from the fixture, the 

 order was given for home, and all went their different ways, well satisfied. This 

 little pack, which has hunted the Hundred of Wirral for nearly half a century, 

 has enjoyed its full share of the good sport that has been going this season, and 

 has had some rare runs with straight-necked hares. ^«^j^ qj ^^ Bhaglek. 



