At Wilkesley with Mr. Corbet. 57 



yery big field, and Mr. Corbet gave a little law for the 

 'specials' to put in an appearance, so that when he 

 trotted off to Kent's Eongh, no one could complain about 

 being left behind. Kent's Eough, altough it was all cut up 

 last spring, held a fox, but he was a shockingly bad one. 

 He first of all broke away on the North Stafford side, 

 but soon turned to the left, and after ringing round a few 

 miles, Kent's Eough was agaiu visited, then out on Mr. 

 Corbet's side ; he ran into a small covert below his house, 

 where he was soon chopped. No. 2 was produced from 

 Mr. Corbet's cover in the Park, but immediately went to 

 ground. A terrier and a man wdth a spade soon made the 

 tenement too hot, and out he bolted right into the jaw^s of 

 the hounds. Shavington was our next draw, and although 

 Sir Watkin's followers spent nearly an entire day there 

 the previous Wednesday, bustling about, foxes were just 

 as plentiful to day, three jumping off what is called the 

 Island, in the Big Wood, at once. Mr. Corbet endeavoured 

 to get the hounds together, but it was impossible, the 

 three foxes being respectively chased by three divisions of 

 the hounds. One division immediately accounted for one, 

 the other two divisions running respectively right and 

 left in the Big Wood. Mr. Corbet soon after got 

 away with one on the x\dderley side, but, running 

 round the Park, we were soon into the Big Wood 

 again. More running through and through this 

 beastly wood, first one fox and then another, until all 

 seemed to vanish, and Mr. Corbet made a move for the 

 square covert at Burleydam. This, as also a small place 

 close by, and Walk Mill, proved blank; but in a little 

 thick covert within three fields of Walk Mill, called, I be- 

 lieve. Cakes Eough, a fox was away at once, and hounds, 

 getting on good terms with him, raced him down to the 

 river Weaver, just below Moss Hall, close to Audlem ; 

 then running along the side of the river as if going into 

 Adderley, he suddenly changed his mind and swam the 

 river, crossed the railway, and then, two fields further on, 

 the canal. This sounds like good business for the field. 

 Well, it caused little inconvenience, as it all happened 

 close to the high road leading into Audlem. Just skirting 

 Audlem, the hounds crossed the road close to the National 

 S3hool, and ran as if pointing for Buerton Gorse, but 

 turning to the left on Mr. Boote's farm, and after 

 negotiating some rather awkward fences, and a brook 



