1868] ( 259 ) 



CHAPTER XXIL 



THE GREAT EADBURNE RUN. 

 1868. 



The season of 1868 began early, for they went cub- 

 hunting in the woods on August 24th, but had to stop 

 again on September 9th, on account of the hardness of 

 the ground. However, they brought seven brace of foxes 

 to hand before the end of September. The entry con- 

 sisted of eleven couples, two of which — Falstaff, Fugle- 

 man, Fairy, and Frantic — were the issue of the Duke of 

 Rutland's Falstaif and Lively. This cross blended the 

 strains of Mr. Foljambe's Forester and Singer, Mr. 

 Drake's Duster, Lord Henry Bentinck's Comrade, Lord 

 Yarborough's Flasher, with a lot of the best Hoar Cross 

 blood. It seemed as if last year's meeting had already 

 taken effect, for foxes were reported as being very 

 numerous. 



Of the wonderful run on February 6th, 1868 — a run 

 of which people talk to this day — there are two printed 

 accounts, both of which are given here. The first is by 

 Lieut.-Colonel R. H. FitzHerbert, of Somersal Herbert, 

 who has been mentioned more than once in these pages ; 

 while the other is from the pen of the celebrated Mr. 

 Michael Bass, M.P., who was at this time in his 

 seventieth year. It is no small feat for a man of his 

 age to have got through such a run, and to have ridden 

 home to Rangemore, more than twenty-five miles distant, 

 at the end of it. 



Colonel FitzHerbert writes : " The meet on Thursday, 



