Penhvldgc witJi the Alhrigliton. S5 



good hunting day with plenty of jumping and fun I 

 understand. 



Wednesday and Friday may be summed up as bitter 

 disappointments, as both only are noted for the inglorious 

 death of a vixen ; the one at Dorrington being, I fear, one 

 of the solitary breeding matrons south of the river, and 

 the other a Leaton pet that could ill be spared. To say 

 the least, this was bad luck ; and as dog foxes, except 

 one from Walford in the morning, declined to show up 

 through some well-know^n coverts, all the rest of the 

 days were blank. 



Indeed, my hunting week would fall flat indeed were it 

 not for an Albrighton Thursday at Penkridge, where it 

 w^as Borderer's luck to be present. A lovely hunting 

 morning, and a goodly array mustered in front of the fine 

 old church. Strangers from North and South Stafford- 

 shire. Even Cheshire was represented, as w^ell as Shrop- 

 shire. The lady pack certainly looked perfection, and I 

 never saw greater confidence of sport written in a mas- 

 ter's face than in Sir Thomas Boughey's when he moved 

 off to draw the Whittimores. Of course, foxes were at 

 home, and w^ent away in hot haste on the right side, but 

 after two fields, crossed the road to the right, and made 

 for the railway, where an awkward sort of deep dyke, 

 with hairy banks, and a fence on the landing side, put 

 confusion in our ranks. The fox here turned short to 

 the left, and ran parallel with the railw^ay, till, in three 

 fields, he was caught — a not very strong constitutioned 

 one, that had only stood up for ten minutes. One thing 

 was evident, however — there was a scent. Another fox 

 had left the covert and we got on his line, too late to do 

 any good with him, so it was decided to trot on towards 

 Barton, and it was evident that the master and Mr. F. 

 Monkton had some intent upon an outlying fox that 

 baffled them more than once this season. Eight cleverly 

 they manoeuvred him to-day for our delectation. Men were 

 stationed at vantage points within half a mile radius of 

 this casual's supposed abode, and Scott blew his horn 

 when he came up the road towards Bradley. No sooner 

 had he done so than our wily old friend crept out of his 

 hedgerow, and was quietly slipping away when he 

 encountered General Monkton's out-post, who tallyhoed 

 him forthwith to another, and before one quarter of the 

 field realised the fact that we were in action again, the 



