H'ujh Ercall and V/cnloch on Neio Year's Day. 35 



nightly rambles, bothers and disconcerts him immensely. 

 Everyone wonld get quite as fair and quick a start if they 

 remained on the hill above, or, better still, if they were 

 taken past the gorse to the railway side of the covert. 

 The Shro]ashire field are getting notorious for their 

 straggling, and to-day they certainly surpassed them- 

 selves. Before Forester's Plantation was half drawn a 

 great part of them were in full sail for the Marie. Bad 

 luck stuck to us throughout. There was a flash in the 

 pan at the Ouse, and a fox at home in Wytheford, which 

 went awav well across the Eoden to the Forge Coppice, 

 a-fter which but an uncertain idea of his whereabouts could 

 be gleaned. Borderer thought he went Hawkstone way, as 

 he was unlikely to face the wind blow^ing in his face 

 Acton Eeynald way. Perhaps no day of fairer promise 

 gave forth more delusive results than our New Year's 

 Day, 1886. 



Sadder, too, when we heard of an excellent day on 

 this self-same Friday over those delightful Garden pas- 

 tures, the particulars of which I failed to cull — and the 

 same must unfortunately be said, to a lesser extent, of 

 the Wheatland at Wenlock. My correspondent there 

 must be presented with a new set of very sharp spurs, 

 .as a reminder that his pen is not that of a ready 

 writer. A quick find, I believe, in the lower end of the 

 Edge Wood took them nearly to Easthope, then away 

 towards Weston and Brockton, where he turned to the 

 left for Bourton, and eventually beat them close to 

 :Spoonhill. The first part was very fast, and the whole 

 made up a good hunting run. Overton, however, is not 

 good at accounting for his foxes. How many an old 

 Wheatland man wishes to see Alec back again ! 



The Albrighton have been doing more than their share 

 in the way of sport, which I grieve to have to pick up 

 second hand. 



All accounts agree in making Saturday from the 

 Plough, Weston Heath, a first-^rate day — while the 

 elements spoilt their Penkridge Tuesday, and Newport 

 footpeople mobbed a good looking Loynton fox ; still 

 *' Crox^pie Boy " maintains that the old Albrighton never 

 went better, and Borderer only wishes that he could be 

 -at Coppenhall on Tuesday to judge for himself. 



C2 



