The Wheatland and United Packs. 19 



This part of the country carries such a holding scent. 

 Two-and-a-half hours was its recognised time. 



The United on the same day met at Newcastle, about 

 three miles west of Clun. Their first fox did not stand 

 up long before them, but their second was a real denizen 

 of Clun Forest. Found in Cwmbryth Dingle, he at 

 first made for Mainstone, then coming round on the 

 high ground by the Three Gates, crossed the Whitcot 

 bottom, and kept on his way steadily eastward till he 

 came to Bicton and the Berry Ditches, a tremendous 

 stronghold, of no avail to him to-day, however, for the 

 deathlike music at his brush drove him on to Walcot,. 

 and, too hot to enter Lord Powis's woods, he struggled 

 on towards that famous hosterly, the Purslow Hundred 

 House, and died in one of the coursing meadows there,, 

 at the end of an hour-and-a-half or thereabouts. Any- 

 one who, like myself, knows the country, can appreciate 

 what a fine hill run this was, and how wonderfully it 

 must have brought into play the perfection of horse, 

 hound, and fox. How the green coats and black caps 

 must have whoo hooped over him ! 



There is only one bright spot in the Shropshire week 

 that I would fain recall to memory, for its record must 

 not be lost. Middle is a favourite meet, and Friday, the 

 4th, saw Thatcher again in the saddle, w^ith plenty of 

 eager sportsmen in his wake. The Park wood is 

 generally a pretty sure find, but to-day it failed. Mer- 

 rington, however, at its extreme point on the Leaton 

 side, held a fox that luckily was prevented going there. 

 and made sharp tracks for Middle, affording plenty of 

 fun for a few short minutes ere he got the better of the 

 hounds. A couple or so of hounds were reported to be 

 running towards Pimhill, and his line became the next 

 attraction. It proved but a stale one, however, and 

 soon had to be given up. Then came the cream of the 

 day. Preston Gubbalds at once announced itself a holding 

 covert, and the fox, cut off from his usual road crossing 

 into the larger part of the wood, had to take the open 

 Albrighton way, and then pop into the covert lower down^ 

 This l)it of experience so sharpened him up, that, contrary 

 to, the usual tactics of these foxes, he w^ent straight 

 through towards Hadnal, and while many a knowing-one 



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