A RUN WITH THE WHEATLAND 175 



Edward Corbet of Longnor, in 1850, when the latter 

 gentleman purchased five and twenty couples of Mr. 

 Baker's hounds to commence with, and constructed 

 kennels at Dorrington. 



Since that time Mr. Baker has confined his hunting 

 to the Wheatland country, and although it may be 

 justly termed a rough one he has contrived to show a 

 vast deal of sport. The following sketch of a run which 

 these hounds had in the memorable wet but good- 

 scenting season of 1852 and 53 is a specimen of their 

 performance and conclusive proof of the state of the 

 country. On the 28th of December they met at 

 Stanley, and drew till rather late in the day before they 

 found. A good game fox, however, was in waiting at 

 Willey, which went away across the Park for Linley to 

 Frog Mill, and along the chain of coverts opposite 

 Apley, on to Stanley, when he turned to the right and 

 made his point good to Mr. Stephen's coverts and from 

 thence to Caughley, which large covert he passed 

 quickly through, making in the direction of the 

 Wooden Bridge ; but soon after leaving Caughley the 

 hounds got away from the whole field of horsemen, and 

 night coming on they lost them entirely. WTien last 

 seen they were running breast high, but what they did 

 with their fox, no one could tell. The time from the 

 find to when they ran out of sight of the horsemen was 

 one hour and twenty minutes. Such an event is seldom 

 heard of, and in modern days is only paralleled by a 

 run with Lord Drumlanrig's hounds. Some of Mr. 

 Baker's hounds did not come home for two or three 

 days ; and although the performance is highly credit- 

 able to the pack in respect to their condition and stout- 

 ness, it is scarcely possible to conceive anything more 

 vexatious and annoying to a master of hounds than to 

 be compelled to return home without his pack, and in 

 answer to interrogatories what has become of them to 

 be compelled to acknowledge they have fairly beaten 

 him. The nature of this severe country and the heavy 

 state it was in afford, however, an ample apology. 



