1887] TWO CANARDS. 143 



through the grounds at Doveridge, and killed on the 

 bridge over the Dove. If the writer is not mistaken, 

 this was the first time Mr. Fort rode that famous horse, 

 Silver King, and very well he carried him. 



Some consternation was caused about this time by a 

 report, that, on account of mange amongst foxes and the 

 consequent death of a great many, the Meynell hounds 

 would only hunt twice a week. Of course it proved to be 

 only a canard, like the famous telegram which Colonel 

 Chandos-Pole was supposed to have sent years afterwards 

 to say that he was going to draw his own coverts at 

 Radburne with his own hounds, on the first Thursday in 

 the season — the usual day for the Meynell to go there. 

 In this case the telegram proved to be forged, though the 

 forger has never yet been discovered, in spite of a reward 

 of one hundred pounds being ofi*ered for his detection. It 

 is quite true that mange did appear in this season of 

 1887-1888, having probably come from the other side of 

 the Derwent, where several foxes had been turned down, 

 but there was never any serious intention of reducing the 

 number of hunting days. The first mangy fox actually 

 seen in the Meynell country was on March 12th, 1888, 

 when they met at Vernon's Oak. They found in a field 

 not far from there, and ran a ring by Cubley into Sudbury 

 Coppice. Charles viewed the fox away from there, and 

 always said he could not make out what was the matter 

 with him, for "he looked as if he had been shook out of a 

 soot bag." He found out soon enough when they killed 

 him in the Park. They killed another mangy one before 

 night, which they found in Cubley Gorse. This one only 

 got as far as the Car. The scourge then spread all over, 

 not only the Meynell country, but all England. 



Another huntino; nuisance beg-an to be in evidence this 

 year — barbed wire, to wit. The very first wire, though 

 not barbed, which the present writer saw in these parts, was 

 in the dead thorn fence by the brook which runs out of 

 the bottom of Shirley Park towards the Mill, late in the 

 seventies. 



