286 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1899 



liis pursuit, for, of course, hounds could do but little with him afterwards, and he 

 had to be given up. They then went back to Meynell-Langley Gorse to try and 

 ])ick up the other fox, which was said to be a mangy one ; but, mangy or not, he 

 had had sense enough to take himself off", and hounds went home. 



Saturday, at Walton, was productive of a capital hunt. Finding at the 

 Grove at Drakelowe, their fox, after hanging in covert for some minutes, went 

 away pointing for Walton. Hounds were no sooner on the line than they tackled 

 to work in earnest, and twisted and turned with their fox in rare style, and were 

 never really at fault till they reached the main earths in Walton Wood. Horses 

 had barely time to get their wind before a fox — some said a fresh one — broke 

 away on the Catton side, and hounds, getting away on good terms, ran nicely up 

 to Mr. Cookson's farm, and, leaving Mr. Ratcliff's new gorse on the right, turned 

 down-wind with diminished speed. Still, it was at by no means a slow pace that 

 they hunted on to the left of Rosliston, and so back to the Grove at Drakelowe, thus 

 completing a very good ring of forty minutes. Hence they carried a line slowly 

 on V)y the old mill in the direction of the line from Burton to Ashby, till they 

 were nm clean out of scent. It was voted unanimously a very enjoyable hunt. 

 Hounds found two or three foxes at the back of Drakelowe Hall, and, after some 

 delay, got one away by the river, but being headed once or twice he proved an 

 easy victim. After drawing Caldwell and Hamstall Wood blank hounds went 

 home. Those who were out with him say that Mr. Chandos-Pole's hounds had 

 a capital hunt on the same day. Finding in the afternoon at Cotton Wood, at 

 the second time of asking, they ran nearly up to Woodseat, when the fox turned 

 back through Chippy Ley, and over the very awkward bottom below it, where 

 Mr. Frank had the misfortune to get his good chestnut horse badly staked. 

 From here they swung left-handed, past Cotton Wood, across the Dove, to 

 ground in Eaton Wood. 



Monday, February 15th, 1899, Tutbury Station. Of course there was a large 

 field and though every one is complaining of all their horses being lame, they came 

 out as usual. A fox went away without any delay, but before hounds had run three 

 fields there were two lines, the leading hounds running in the direction of 

 the Spath, while the body of tlie pack ran their fox right up to the foot of Hilton 

 Clump, where he had been viewed by a keen group of foot people. Before 

 crossing the road from Sutton to Hilton the leading hounds joined the others, and 

 the now united pack hunted slowly to the top Foston coverts and through them 

 to ground at Boylestone. They found again in the Pudding Bag at the back of 

 Foston Hall and ran their fox at a good pace to ground near Pennywaste. Going 

 back to the Pudding Bag, yet another fox was at home, whom hounds ran at a 

 great pace nearly to Sudbury Park palings, where the fox made a very short turn 

 back, and was lost between Scropton and Foston. A fox crossed the river, and 

 was seen making his way into the Greaves, but whether he was the hunted fox 

 or not is a matter of uncertainty. In all probability he was the same one whicli 

 took the same line the last time the Foston coverts were drawn. The hunting 

 field has been metaphorically compared Avith the lists of the days of chivalry, as 

 giving an opportunity for the knights of the saddle to exhibit their prowess. 

 Two gentlemen to-day seem to have taken the comparison literally, for they came 

 into violent collision, resulting in the unhorsing of one of them. 



Tuesday. Chartley is a name to draw people from far and near, so there was 

 a goodly muster at the most picturesque spot in Staffordshire. It was a nice 

 morning, too ; and, if anticipation is the best part of pleasure, every one had a 



