46 HUNTING AND SPORTING NOTES. 



long field aliead of them, so there was nothing left but to 

 set full sail in pursuit. On catching them we soon found 

 that we had only half the pack (ten-and-a-half couples), 

 but Scott was with us, and on we went at a fair hunting- 

 pace over an intricate country, which gradually led us 

 back to the railway opposite our starting point. The fox 

 had begun to run very short, and the scent become very 

 ticklish, when Scott landed in a ditch, from which he 

 could not extricate himself, and the run came to an end 

 close to Gnosall village — one hour and thirty minutes, 

 which might, but for the contretemps of the hounds 

 dividing, have ended in blood. There was nothing for it 

 but to return in search of the rest of the pack and half 

 our field. These we picked up Aqualate way, having been 

 running a twisting fox all round about Knightley, ever 

 since we left them, right glad they were to give him up, 

 and join us again. A move was then made for Cowley 

 Banks, by the side of the canal. Tallyho sounded here in 

 no time, and we raced away to Wood Eaton, and crossed 

 the Church Eaton Eoad in front of the house, down to 

 and through the treacherous brook by a friendly ford, as 

 if for E-heule, but leaving this on the left, tbe hounds 

 carried a beautiful head over a stiff line of country to 

 Barton, where, at the end of a delightful twenty-five 

 minutes, he popped into a drain. No wonder that the 

 pace and the country brought grief in plenty. There 

 were several empty saddles in the morning run, but now 

 there were more — a well-known welter tried the strength, 

 of his collar bone considerably, and a young cavalry man 

 had to pick himself up twice. It was now three o'clock in 

 the afternoon, and I had to catch a train, but t< the few 

 that stayed, the day was not over, for bolting him, or a 

 fresh one, they had a rattling gallop back to Kheule, and 

 from there to Haughton, and all over the country until 

 darkness came upon the scene, and some of the hounds 

 were lost. One, I regret to hear, was killed on the railway. 

 This was a good day as things go this season, and a hard 

 one for horses and hounds. Those twenty-one-and-a-half 

 couple of Albrighton bitches are superb — such music and 

 drive ! it is a real pleasure to ride after them. 



Tuesday, with Mr. Corbet at Wrenbury Station, there 

 was an utter collapse of scent. People flocked there by 

 rail and road. The biojo^est meet of the season, and the 

 majority seemed determined to have a ride, hounds or no 



