138 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. 



goes away hungry or thirsty from his house, Park Hall, 

 it is the wayfarer's own fault. 



He has had some capital horses in his stable, many 

 of which left it at high prices to go to other people, which 

 is the greatest criterion of merit. One of them, Walnut, 

 was good enough to win the Meynell Red Coat race with 

 that beautiful horseman, the late Mr. Harry Bird, in the 

 saddle, at Uttoxeter, in 1894. This was not exactly the 

 easiest horse in the world to ride, but he was very fast 

 and a capital stayer. 



Mr. Radcliff, who lives at Broad Moor, Weston, is 

 devoted to hunting, knows every yard of the country, 

 and so sees most of a run without any unnecessary 

 jumping. He does his l^est in the interests of the Hunt 

 to keep wire down, and to have it marked where it does 

 exist ; and there is no more thankless task than this. 



While dealing with this side of the country, Mr. 

 Harrison, living at Chartley Castle, must not be forgotten, 

 lor he is a capital fox-preserver, though he does not hunt, 

 and deserves all the more credit on that account. How- 

 ever, he is rej)resented in the field by his daughter, who 

 goes well, especially on her favourite chestnut mare, 

 ]\ label, as good a hunter as any one need wish to ride. 



A little further away, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are settled 

 at Fradswell, and always have plenty of foxes both in the 

 Birch Wood and the Home Coverts, besides seeing where 

 hounds go when they run. Mrs. ]\Iurphy knows more 

 about hunting than most people, and wants no one to show 

 her the way over the country. They have both of them 

 had their share of falls, but it seems to make no differ- 

 ence, though broken bones have been the result of some 

 of them. 



The Fradswell dumbles are very awkward places to get 

 over, unless you know your way about, ])ut, once clear of 

 them, you are in a beautiful country to ride across, go which 

 way you will, and it carries a good scent. Unfortunately 

 there is a good deal of wire on the North Stafl'ordsliire 

 side. The ]mlings in Chartley Park are a formidable- 



