74^ HUNTING AND SPORTING NOTES. 



enough, another found in the Black Birches, Yqrton way^ 

 was also acquainted with the same spou, for after making 

 a feint to go to Preston Gubbalds, he too, hopped into 

 this aioresaid drain, making the third fox run to ground 

 during the day. Truly this season is unique in its 

 " running to ground " annals ! 



Saturday ought to have been the meet at Garden, but 

 ten degrees of frost unexpectedly stepped in, and counter- 

 manded the horse boxes, as well as crushed the hopes of 

 many a score good hunting men. " To see Garden and 

 die," has been an old Gheshire motto. Borderer is 

 keeping it as a boii bouche, which perhaps may never be 

 realised. 



On Monday the Albrighton met at Hagley, and, I 

 believe, had fair sport. Don't know the country, so 

 can't give you any particulars. Tuesday our meet was 

 Patshull. Net finding a fox in the Park, the master took 

 us to SnowTlon Pool; here a fox was quickly away, 

 running a couple of rings round Beckbury and Eyton, 

 back to Snowdon Pool, where he was killed. He was a 

 bad 'un, trying to get to ground all the time. After 

 this we drew Gosford, Brockton Gorse, and a couple of 

 banks near these, all blank. It was now after four 

 o'clock, so we made a start for home. The master went 

 on to Badger — here they found a straight-necked fox 

 wdiich gave them about forty or fifty minutes as hard as 

 they could go, and they whipped off some wdiere down by 

 Bridgnorth. It was hardly to be expected we should 

 find in Brockton Gorse, as hounds were in it for an 

 hour and thirty -five minutes the week before. 



Thursday w^e met at Loynton. Blakemere Pool pro- 

 vided a fox, taking us by Knightley and Shelmore Park 

 up to Rant on, wdiere we lost him. From here we drew 

 one or two Knightley coverts blank. Went on to 

 Blakemore Pool again (as there w^ere two or three foxes 

 on foot in the morning), but didn't find. From here to 

 Oulton Gorse, at Aqualate. Here we found at once, and 

 had a very nice gallop of about thirty-five minutes at a 

 very fair pace, eventually losing him not very far from 

 Aqualate. Found another fox at Beffcote Gorse — a very 

 pretty find, but hounds could not run him a yard. It 

 was after four when we found this fox, and there was 

 snow in the air — not an atom of scent. 



The Ludlow, I hear, are still rejoicing in a succession of 



