1899] THE BOB-TAILED DOVERIDGE FOX. 297 



Waldley Coppice, and it was noticed tliat hounds were feeling for the scent with 

 their heads in the air, as if it lay high. Meanwhile the rest of the pack hit a Hne 

 down a hedgerow towards the brook, and began running fast. Their cry brought 

 the others flying to them. Down to the brook charged then- pursuers. A very 

 hard-riding soldier [Captain Dugdale] picked his place and went sailing down to 

 this " dread stream of historic disaster," as hard as his good, hog-maned, bay 

 horse's legs could caiTy him. It was in or over, and "over" had it, for this 

 bold-hearted pair landed on the far side with a fall, and, picking themselves up 

 quickly, galloped on with a lead. Some of the oldest amongst us may remember 

 Charles Leedham jumping this same brook at an outrageously wide place on a 

 wonderful four-year-old, and how his immediate follower did not succeed in 

 landing much forther than half-way. To-day the rest of us went in and out, and 

 those who took advantage of the master's quick eye, and followed his lead, were 

 the quickest over, and hounds went running on. If only there was always a 

 brook in the first field how much the better would our sport be. Should we ever 

 hear such sentiments as, " Curse the scent, and hang the huntsman, rot the foxes, 

 damn the hounds?" Not we. We should only be cussing ourselves for not 

 being with them. 



" So for sundry fair minutes they run and they race, 

 'Tis a heaven to some, 'tis a life-time to all." 



With no one to override them, with plenty of room, and a more than useful 

 scent, they chirruped along in close order pointing for Mareton Woodhouse. 

 Right-handed they swung, happening on convenient places for us to cross two 

 awkward, bottoms, over Mr. Cottrell's farm, to Somersal, past the picturesque, 

 old-world hall, where their cry made most tuneful melody, dear to the sporting 

 souls of its owners, than whom none loved better to follow it. Would that they 

 were here to-day with us in the flesh, as they may have been, who knows, in the 

 spirit ! A short turn to the right, an equally sharp one to the left, and hounds 

 Avere at fault on the lane which leads, through grassy fields, to Brockford. Not 

 for long, though. " Rose again the joyous rally," as the veterans of the pack 

 fling eagerly forward, left-handed, and, hitting off" the Une, call eagerly to their 

 mates to join them, as they scud along past the old oak, which has seen the 

 same merry game played out with chiding hound and flying quarry by English- 

 man, Norman, Saxon, Dane, or Celt, for aught we know, and will see it for many 

 a decade yet, till that, it is to be hoped, far distant day when the horn shall 

 sound no more, when the note of opening hound shall no longer gladden the 

 heart of man, when the fox, sole remnant of a race as extinct as the dodo, shall 

 take his place in the Zoo, and the old oak be rotting piece by piece in the sod 

 where now it stands. But forward, leave oaks and dodos to whom you please. 

 It is by thinking of such things when galloping across country that folks, as Mr. 

 Jorrocks observes, " brick their necks," or lose the hounds, which is nearly as bad. 

 So forward on, nurse your trusty hunter, an you will, up the opposing slope, and 

 then take your fill of the pretty fencing and sound grass which you will encounter, 

 as hounds run merrily on straight for Maresfield Gorse. Into the lane from 

 Somersal to Sudbury they pour and over the fence out of it. Of course our fox 

 is off" for Sudbury Coppice, and what not beyond ! " Of course " only — a man 

 ploughmg has headed him, and he has turned right-handed, very short, by Ling's 

 farm, across the road again, over the Uttoxeter main road, past Lake Banks, 

 into those alluring meadows by the Dove. Alluring truly, but alarming too, after 

 thirty minutes, best pace. Is not a horse full of mettle wanted to cope with these 

 strong, broad-ditched fences, instead of one with the steel half out of him ? But 



