10 HUNTING AND SPOBTING NOTES. 



soon after scent failed, and the hounds were put into a 

 small covert close at hand, which held a brace of foxes. 

 The pack soon settled on one, which ran back to the big 

 wood, where, after a turn or two round, he w^ent away 

 at the far end, and a friendly halloa across the road 

 brought the hounds on better terms with their fox, who 

 now took to the Great Western Eailway, where a train 

 was pulled up just in time to prevent mischief. This fox 

 appeared to have a great partiality for the railway, as he 

 crossed and recrossed several times, and eventually, 

 scent getting very cold, Goodall drew off, and went 

 home, very few of a large field remaining to the finish. 

 Sir Watkin was out in his brougham during the early 

 part of the day, and only left us as we passed through 

 Oswestry on our way to the afternoon draw." 



This morning run very much reminds me of one that 

 John Mytton described in a letter toNimrod,on February 

 17th., 1826. He says, "The shrubberies near Aston 

 House were drawn blank. Vv^e then trotted on to Babin's 

 Wood, a sure find, the property of that good sportsman 

 and true friend of foxhunting, Mr. Lloyd. Almost 

 immediately our fox was on his legs — The hounds got 

 well together and rattled him most handsomely through 

 the covert. I exclaimed, 'By G — , Lloyd, there is a 

 scent at last,' and crossing the road we went away at a 

 most tremendous pace, skirting Middleton, and running 

 through Trenewydd Coverts, over the Oswestry road, 

 through Old Oswestry, by Pentre Pant, leaving Porking- 

 ton and Oswestry racecourse on our left, skirting the 

 hills to Selattyn. Here the pace gradually declined, 

 from the keenness of the air on high lands. The hounds 

 hunted their fox to admiration, and aided in a masterly 

 style by Graham, we ran him over an open country, all 

 grass, nearly to Llangollen,, where I tally-hoed him, and 

 the hounds ran into him in a few seconds, af cer a glorious 

 run of one hour and forty minutes. The field was 

 smaller than usual in Shropshire, but everyone had a 

 start. Graham went as usual a good one, as did Mr. 

 Rocke and Mr. Lloyd — not forgetting Will — a superior 

 artist in every way, especially good across a country. I 

 was lucky in being very forward, having taken off my 

 curb chain before starting, thinking that my mare 

 had quite sufficient to carry in 14:St. 101b., without that 

 superfluity." 



