24 HUNTING AND SPOBTING NOTES. 



Wednesday took the Sliro])sliire to Loton Park, their- 

 extreme westerly meet now that the Wollop is given up. 

 The fun will not take long- in describing, although with 

 luck a first-rate day might have resulted. Loton Withy 

 Bed held a brace of good wild foxes. One broke on the 

 upper side, and took a splendid line up the meadows, 

 towards Ford, when hounds suddenly threw up, and 

 could make nothing of it. Back to the withy bed went 

 Thatcher to get on the line of another, or perhaps the 

 same fox that had returned. x\way they went agam, 

 really only a portion of them, for five couple had cut off 

 the fox and driven him over the river Severn unseen, except 

 "by a few, and they had to look on, while alone in their glory, 

 these five couple flew away to America! No bridge for 

 five miles, so there was nothing for it but to send a whip 

 after them, and go elsewhere to ciraw again. This was 

 vainly done, the district never being particularly foxey. 

 These five couple had a clipper to Nesscliffe, and the whip, 

 nearly spent the night there trying to stop them, so- 

 numerous were the foxes in front of them. 



Thursday at Gresford I hear Sir Watkin had a good, 

 day, finishing near Holt. 



Friday, the 18th, Mr. Heywood-Lonsdale was at High 

 Ercall. A good meet that always draws. The Duke of 

 Cleveland's large farms here i_,':v" ]>]ruty of room for every- 

 body, and when the ground is damp holds a good scent. 

 To-day the Ouse covert did not hold, but a little wood 

 near Ercall Park was more fortunate. The fox at once 

 dashed down to and through the river Eoden, much to 

 the consternation of the field. The only handy bridge is 

 a brute of a thing, narrow, weak, and positively dangerous. 

 To-day it caused a block and nearly collapsed. The lucky 

 ones first over sat down to ride through as quick a thing 

 as has been their lot this year, having to take in their 

 stride some big and wide places that intervene between 

 there and Poynton Sj^iings, to get to which they made 

 a bit of an elbow towards the Ring Bank. Straight 

 through the Springs, the field tailing tremendously, past 

 Shawbury White Gates, then to the right, leaving the 

 village on the left as if for Moreton Corbet ; but "without 

 reaching there, they soon found themselves at the Lea, 

 at the end of about forty minutes — a most enjoyable spin^ 



