56 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1792 



scuffling in one of the bedrooms, and, going in, found 

 all the servants trying to suffocate AVagstatfe with a 

 featherbed. They explained that he had been bitten by 

 a hound, which was assumed to be mad, and that they 

 wanted to smother him, for fear of his going mad too and 

 biting them. But for his master's timely intervention 

 they would probably have succeeded. 



In the diary for January 5th, 1792, we find, "Killed 

 witch hare. This day John Wagstaffe, late huntsman, 

 died." There is more than one mention of having run 

 and lost this particular hare, and it is an odd coincidence 

 that she should have been eventually killed on the very 

 day that the huntsman died. The Radburne Hounds 

 frequently joined forces with the Derby Hounds, Mr. 

 Cox's, while Lord Vernon used to have a day with them 

 now and then, so, evidently, matters were amicably 

 arranged. Horsley Parks was a favourite covert, which 

 nearly always held a fox, and on November 29th they found 

 there, and ran by " Farley's, to Eaton, to Morley, to Locko, 

 about ten miles." In January some southern hounds 

 seem to have been introduced into the kennel, but they 

 could go, for, on the 17th, the pack ran "from Osleston to 

 Lees, to Radburne Common, to Mickleover, to Bearward- 

 cote, twelve miles in forty-five minutes," and killed. 



On February 7th we have, " A bag fox from Park Hall, 

 at Langley Green, to Bowbridge, to Mackworth, caught 

 alive in Kedleston Inn Yard." On Monday, March 7th, 

 they had the run of the season: "A bag fox from 

 Repton Shrubs, Langley Green to Radburne, to Willington, 

 to Newton, to Bratby, and to earth above Hartshorn. 

 Twenty miles in two hours." And they ended up the 

 season with a total of thirty-one brace of hares. There 

 is a curious entry on October 1st, in the next season : 

 " Barton Fields, Spath, Cronkhill, Sutton, Ash ; at Ash 

 dug out alive one brace of foxes, killed six brace of hedge- 

 hogs." On November 24th they " join Derby Hounds at 

 Shottle Car, for fox. Found in Car, ran to Wirksworth, 

 to Cromford, and lost at Alderwasley." Weather did not 



