FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 169 



gorse of Mr. Floyer's ; found, and ran down to 

 Hints, where we ran from wood to wood, but 

 so many foxes, and the hounds rather beat with 

 their work in the morning, we could not kill one. 

 Rode Squire and Richmond; Jack Richards, 

 Milton; Kit Atkinson, Selim." 



On October 15th, hounds did not leave off till 

 after dark, a long day's cub-hunting, killed one 

 early, but owing to changing could not get hold 

 of a second. 



The last half of the month was very windy, 

 and on several occasions he went home early, 

 *' as hounds could not hear one another.'* 



'' October 27th. Hartshill Hays. — Twenty- 

 three couples; found directly; drove him very 

 quick through Bentley Park, and ran him to 

 ground in a small covert of Mr. Dugdale's. 

 Tried Arley Wood, where we found a brace of 

 foxes ; came away with one, past Close Wood, and 

 down to Kinsbury Wood, at a terrible quick pace 

 for fifty minutes, when a violent storm of wind and 

 rain came on which entirely washed away every 

 particle of scent ; but for that he was dying fast. 

 Rode Barber ; Kit, Rat Tail ; and Jack, Francis.'' 



Even in those days a crowd was not unknown, 

 as he says on 3rd November : '' The greatest 

 mob of horse and foot people I ever saw" ; and 

 on 1st December : '' Such a concourse of Birming- 

 ham people were never seen." 



