1899J FROM KINGSTON WOOD TO HOUND HILL. 283 



side of the Forest Banks to Ash Bank, where a few more people joined them, and 

 so on to Marchington CHff. Here the fox broke covert in the direction of Hound 

 Hill, and tried to get to ground in a stick heap just this side of the Uttoxeter 

 road, but, being headed, he turned back, into the Banks, and hounds were stopped 

 at Marchington Clitf. 



Monday, January 30, 1899, Bradley. A nice hunting morning proved a 

 welcome change after the frost of the last two or three days. No fox was at 

 home in any of the Bradley coverts, but Shirley Park proved as staunch as 

 ever. Hounds found a fox at the top end, and with a rare scent in covert, fairly 

 drove him from end to end, from top to bottom, and forced him away by the 

 mill. From here they fairly raced up-wind to Culland with one couple a field or 

 so to the good all the way, and the main body going fast enough to try the speed 

 of anybody's hunter. From Culland the fox just took a survey of the country on 

 the Longford side, running about a field in that direction, but, possibly seeing 

 something not quite to his liking, bobbed back again, and, breaking away at the 

 opposite end, retraced his steps to Shirley with his pursuers naturally not 

 lumiing quite so fast down-wind. Scent served again in covert, for they dusted 

 him merrily once round the wood, and pushed him out again for Longford, over 

 the same good old line that some of us romped over even in the consulship of 

 Plancus. But in fox-hunting there is no sameness. You may n\n the same line 

 a dozen times, but always with fresh combinations, always with variety. It is 

 like the course of another old, old story— old, yet always new. But a truce to 

 moralizing ! We may not stand dreaming, while yonder they're streaming— or, 

 if we do, we shall be left behind— over the grass, nipping over or boring through 

 the strong thorn fences in the marvellous way that fox-hounds do with a scent, 

 till the undergrowth of Longford Car changes their modified chorus into a full- 

 throated cry. Not for long, though. Again there is the unmistakable chatter of 

 hounds runnhig in the open, as they swung across the Rodsley road pointing for 

 Alkmonton. Leaving this on their left, they hunted slowly over the road from 

 Alkmonton to Yeavely, past Stydd Hall, and then, turning right-handed, ran 

 their fox to ground beyond Yeavely by the bridle road from Osmaston to Shirley. 

 It was a really good hound run of an hour and forty minutes, for they could 

 stick to the line all the time without assistance— in fact, they were never off it. 

 Later on they found in the Finney Plantation, and ran very fast through Long- 

 ford Car to gi-ound in the middle of a field just beyond the Rodsley road. 



Tuesday, Bramshall. Philips' Gorse was blank, but a fox was soon on foot 

 in Carry Coppice, and tried to break at the Loxley end, but, being headed, 

 turned back. He went away at the opposite end, but unluckily homids never 

 got on to his line, for he was viewed making his way past Philips' Gorse down 

 towards the railway. Returning to the Coppice they found again, and ran out 

 slowly towards Loxley, and so by the Park Wood into Kingston Wood, and 

 across the Uttoxeter road into Bagot's Wood, where they lost him. They then 

 drew Kingston Wood, and a fox was halloaed away on the side nearest the main 

 road, and hounds ran very prettily across the road right through Bagot's Wood, 

 and out into the Park. Across its ant-hilled surface, which brought one good 

 sportsman to giief, they ran well, as they always do, a half-circle into Dog 

 Kennel Wood. But this was a woodland fox, who had no objection to 

 trying conclusions with hounds in the open, and away he went gallantly, 

 without giving any one a chance to view him, past Hart's Coppice, by Daisy 

 Bank, towards Tomlinson's corner. By Mr. Loverock's farmhouse they 

 checked, and a long cast across the road to the right below Holt Hall did not 



