1884] GOOD RUN FROM SHIRLEY PARK. 123 



make one of Dr. Jameson's force in the famous Eaid, and 

 he was also in the South African War, all through the 

 siege of Mafeking. 



In November sport was fair, and the Master hunted 

 the hounds himself once or twice on a bye-day. Hunting 

 was stopped for a few days at the end of November and 

 beginning of December. On the afternoon of December 

 9 th hounds ran very fast from Potter's by Alkmonton 

 Bottoms, leaving Longford to the right, through Holling- 

 ton village, past Culland, to ground at Hullaud Ward. 

 This was a capital gallop up to Longford, and a nice 

 hunting pace afterwards. 



But they did better still on Thursday 11th, when they 

 met at Bradley, for they found at Shirley Park a fox who 

 was some time in making up his mind to go — very wisely 

 too, for there was a rare scent outside. Once away, they 

 simply raced down to Longford and just to the left of 

 Reeve's Moor, where they checked, but hit it off and ran 

 hard to the big field by Culland Hall, where they checked 

 again. People had been tumbling about a bit, and Mr. 

 Newton alone, on one of Mr. Forman's horses, will own 

 to no less than three falls by the time they ran their fox 

 to ground at Buckhazels. From Culland they ran on fast 

 nearly to Parson's Gorse, and checked in the outskirts of 

 Langley. This probably saved the fox's life, for they 

 never ran fast afterwards. It was the best run of the 

 season so far. An hour and ten minutes altogether, forty- 

 five minutes of it very fast. 



January 20th, at Etwall, was the next gala day. They 

 began by finding in the Sandpit Wood, and ran very fast 

 down to the Rough, when the field over-rode the hounds 

 and spoiled the run. Then they found in Newton's osiers, 

 and an unruly field headed the fox till he sought refuge in 

 a drain under the railway. But Pildock Wood held a 

 good, straight-necked fox, and a rare gallop he gave them. 

 First he set his head for Langley Common, passed Parson's 

 Gorse without touching it, on by Burrows, by Long Lane, 

 and, leaving Boden's Thorns on his right, to Reeve's Moor. 



