230 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1896 



There was a pretty good hunt of an hour and a half after- 

 wards from Coley Gorse by BHthfield Gorse, through the 

 gardens at Blithfield, across the Park, by Newton Hurst, 

 through Duckley Wood and Forge Coppice, losing their 

 fox near Ox Close Wood at Blithbury. 



November 16th was a good day, and there were no 

 end of falls. Mrs. Charrington had the misfortune of her 

 horse breaking his back. They found in the Hare Park 

 and ran for forty minutes, losing near Cubley. Then they 

 found again at Doveridge, ran a ring round about there, 

 and lost. An outlying fox near Marston Park led them a 

 sharp burst by Cubley, and was killed. But the best of the 

 fun was late in the afternoon with another outlier in a 

 cabbage-field near Hope Wood. Him they ran well for 

 forty-two minutes through Raddle Wood, by Cubley Car 

 and Alkmonton church, where they turned left-handed by 

 Stydd Hall, and on to Cubley Gorse, where hounds were 

 stopped at dark. 



Up to Christmas sport was fair; there was a great 

 deal of mange about, and foxes were not over plentiful in 

 some parts. Frost stopped hunting from December 16th 

 to the 26th, otherwise there had been but one or two days 

 when they could not go. 



After Christmas there was a great deal of rain and the 

 country rode deep — at least, as deep as it ever does. 

 Sport was just about on an average with most years, but 

 there was nothing much to boast of up to the frost which 

 lasted for thirteen days, from January 16th to February 

 9th. When the frost broke up there were terrible floods, 

 so much so that people going to Chartley on February 9 th 

 could not get over Blythford, but had to go back and 

 round by Loxley. 



A Eadburne day, on February 11th, produced the run 

 of the season. It was, however, a disastrous day for the 

 bulk of a large field, for hounds slipped every one from the 

 Rough except the Squire and his daughter, Mrs. Charles 

 Charrington, Captain Fitz-alan Manners, Charles, and 

 Steve. They simply raced over the Trusley brook. 



