1821J AULD LANG SYNE. 77 



From the number of bag foxes which they hunted it is 

 plain that they were badly preserved ; but, as an off-set, 

 almost wherever they found one they had a great run, if 

 there was anything like a scent, and usually a straight-on- 

 €nd one. 



How they managed it on such a short stud of horses 

 is a mystery ; but they seldom had one lamed, and 

 they came out twice a week, sometimes with only one 

 day in between. 



Foxes killed, seventeen and a half brace ; to ground, 

 nine and a half brace ; lost twenty-four and a half brace ; 

 blank days, seven ; badgers killed, two. 



1821-1822. 



Early in this season hounds got hold of an otter in the 

 osier bed at Wichnor, but let him go again, and small 

 blame to them. Foxes must have been getting scarcer 

 still in Derbyshire, for the opening day was at Black 

 Slough, on October 22nd, and he did not even make a 

 pretence of going to Sudbury, but met at Eaton Wood 

 instead on the 29th, where there were plenty of foxes. 

 But he had a blank day at Kedleston on November 1st, 

 and, on the 3rd, at Radburne, did not find till they got to 

 an osier bed at Egginton, whence they ran hard to the 

 Potlocks, and killed. 



On January 3rd, 1822, began by finding a fox at 

 Shirley Park, which they ran to ground at Hulland. 

 Then they found another not far off, and had no end of a 

 run for an hour and fifty minutes, though, for once, the 

 diarist does not tell us where they went. But it must 

 have been what Dick Christian called "a stitcher," for 

 Tom lamed Patriot, and, changing on to the brown mare, 

 got to the end of her, so that he had to stop at Cubley 

 Parsonage. Mr. Cavendish had mounted Joe on Pavilion, 

 and he was " completely tired." Some one stopped the 

 hounds in the end, and as both his men were liors de 

 combat^ that duty must have devolved on the Master. 



