132 



COLONEL THOMSON'S BEST RUN WITH 

 THE ATHERSTONE, 



1849. 



Januakt 1st, Monday. Red Lion, Appleby. Sailor 

 and Landseer, self; "Ace," Stephen Goodall; Avenue, 

 Stephen Shepherd. Small pack, 19^ couple; scent 

 capital. Wind, N.E.; very cold. 



Birdshill Gorse being cut down, Geo. Moore used to 

 put a terrier through the earth, while the hounds 

 drew the rough grass and nettles at the other end. 

 Bolted a fox from the earth, came out of the top of the 

 cover, turned to the left, and crossed the brook towards 

 Measham Mill ; ran up almost to the canal bridge as if 

 for Willesley, turned to the left along the side of the 

 brook to Stretton, which they crossed nearly opposite 

 the house. Checked for a moment, but hit it off 

 before anyone got to them, crossed the road to Ashby, 

 ran very hard across the road from No-Man's Heath to 

 Seckington. Ransom and Darling made a capital turn 

 — Fencer, Matchless, Ringlet, President, Barmaid, and 

 Nimble, all doing well. Checked for a moment at the road 

 at the top of the new Thorpe cover — twenty-five minutes 

 up to the first check. Ran on very pretty up to Thorpe, 

 where they checked again at the road, hit it two fields 

 on. Up jumped a hare ; Plunder and some young ones 

 at it ; stopped them. Up got another ; Prudence and 

 Dewdrop after it. Roj-al hit the line off in the other 

 direction through a sheepfold, and put us right again ; 

 through Thorpe Gorse (cut down), across a deep country 

 up to the railroad near Wiggington (where my horse 

 cast a shoe — I took the "Ace" from Goodall), crossed 

 at a bridge, and began to run for him ; came down to 



