1:2 HUNTING AND SPORTING NOTES. 



his aim was not sufficiently deadly for any harmful 

 purpose, but he really was not a safe person to be 

 entrusted with a gun license. Twemlows then afforded 

 several foxes, but these also divined that the absence of 

 scent w^as an excuse for staying at home, and so after 

 making a pretence of going Hawkstone way, and 

 afterwards venturing towards Sandford, this unsatisfactory 

 day was brought to a conclusion. 



Tuesda}^ Wednesday, and Thursday were blank as I 

 have said from frost. On Friday the Shropshire were at 

 Wem Station, in a damp, cold, thawing atmosphere, with 

 the plough land " carrying." A good fox in Broughton 

 Gorse, and who that knows Shropshire does not 

 recollect the hairy fences and wide ditches abounding in 

 its surroundings, opened the proceedings. Luckily for 

 the majority, hounds never ran really fast towards 

 Baschurch, leaving Middle on their left, and were fain to 

 give him up at Petton, Mr. Lonsdale not persevering, 

 because Sir Watkin was due here to-morrow. A pretty 

 hunting run, declared those on good jumpers. Thatcher 

 got a nasty roll, owing to his horse trying to run through 

 one of these yawners, and his horse fell on him I fear. 

 At all events, as the sequel shows, he was unequal to 

 getting into his saddle on the morrow. Loppington in 

 the afternoon did not produce a fox — it seldom does. On 

 Saturday, by common consent, all the world and his wife 

 went to Baschurch. In fact, Baschurch Saturdays 

 appear as if they were going to take the place of our old 

 "Whitchurch Saturdays. If I began to give a fashionable 

 ]ist of the patrons of sport to day, I should be taking 

 aleafoutof old " H. H.'s" articles in the field, who bolsters 

 up a blank day with the Hertfordshire, or a calf hunt of 

 the Baron's, with half a column of well-known hunting 

 names. Suffice it to say that from the Marquis of 

 Cholmondeley downwards it was a large gathering, in 

 which was numbered a large Shropshire contingent, that 

 deserted their own pack at Shawbury. Sir Watkin was 

 still absent, much to the regret of all. He has returned to 

 Wynnstay from Brighton, and is better, but the doctors 

 still recommend rest from over exertion, and in this 

 bitter east wind sort of weather he does wisely to leave 

 the reins of mastership in the hands of his brother. — ■ 



