220 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1896 



part, but it was hard work up to " Madge's Boose," four and a half miles from, 

 and nearly six hundred feet higher than, our starting-point. Those who were 

 behind here never had another chance of reaching hounds. The Boose is sur- 

 rounded by moderate-sized grass fields, inclosed by high limestone walls ; here 

 we left the 1894 line, and veered slightly left-handed to near Kniveton village, 

 and straight away, all downhill, leaving Bradbourne on the right, to Bradbourne 

 Mill. Following the course of the Bletch brook, the fox held straight on over 

 SitterloAv Farm, past Shaw's and Crakelow farms, where we were alternately 

 leading our horses up and down the unrideable slopes, but still straight on past 

 Newton Grange, leaving Tissington on our left. At the Grange Mr. Grindy told 

 us that he had several times this winter seen fox-footprints in the snow the same 

 line that we had come ; we were then several miles outside the usual hunting 

 country, but our fox evidently knew his point, and was no stranger to the district. 

 Still straight on, and ever mounting higher, past Bostern Grange, we came to a 

 sudden stop after one hour and twenty minutes, without a check, on the top of 

 the cliffs at Dovedale — eleven hundred feet above sea level — immediately above 

 the water ram which supplies Lord Hindlip's Allsopp estate, and almost within 

 sight of Keynard's Cave. We could see hounds several hundred feet below us, 

 still running along the river bank, but it was impossible for horses to follow. 

 Charles managed to scramble down on foot, and went on down stream towards 

 the Cave, but we knew that any minute our fox could find safety in one of the 

 old lead mines or in a fissure in the rocks, so were content to sit on the hilltop 

 and discuss sandwiches, giving our horses a much-needed rest. Measured on 

 the map it was a nine-mile point, and very little more than ten miles (also on 

 the map) as hounds ran, but the actual distance, up hill and down, must have 

 added several miles. There was no chance for second horses to get up. During 

 a long experience with the Meynell, I have never before seen horses called upon 

 to negotiate such steep hillsides, where ladies had to dismount ; our horses are 

 accustomed to fly their fences, and many did not relish the sharp-edged limestone 

 walls, but there was no time to hesitate or pick places, and about forty turned 

 up at the finish of our part of the fun. At two o'clock, after waiting forty 

 minutes to see if Charles returned, we all went home, still leaving a whip on the 

 summit holding Charles's horse. 



This is the second run this month into districts where foxes are not preserved 

 by lando\vners, because they are supposed to be too far from kennels. Only a 

 month ago a fox shoot (!) was held in Dovedale ; five were slain. It seems 

 only too probable that some of these were equally at home in the best of our 

 hunting country. May we hope that in future they will meet with better 

 treatment ? 



X. 



Mr. Peacock lent Charles his horse and went home in 

 a hired trap. When he met Charles, who had walked all 

 the way up Dovedale, and asked him what he was going 

 to do next, the huntsman's answer was, " I'm going to have 

 a whisky and soda," which he did, at the Isaac Walton. 



On Thursday, January 30th, a good gallop of thirty- 

 five minutes with an outlying fox, picked up near Mr. 

 Frank Newton's house, at Bearwardcote, and killed by 



