312 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1899 



lane on the Chartley side of the wood, but only for a few seconds, for, dashing 

 over the lane, they ran the whole length of the covert. The fox, however, 

 headed probably, turned short back towards Chartley, and they ran him right- 

 handed by Summer Hill, where they checked. Luckily information came to 

 hand that the fox had gone on from Birch Wood, so the huntsman lost no time in 

 getting them on, and they ran nicely to Brinsley Wood. On going away from 

 here the huntsman and whippers-in got their second horses, while hounds 

 accommodatingly checked. Hitting it off again, they ran prettily, pointing for 

 Leigh, over a nice line of country, till they checked in the road to Leigh station, 

 just before reaching the railway. Loyalty before all is a good adage, and little 

 Loyalty, a very promising youngster in her first season, gave us a proof of it by 

 hitting ofl' the line, single-handed, to the right of the road. With a cheer of 

 encouragement the huntsman clapped on with the rest of the pack, and they ran 

 on with the railway on their left till they crossed the river and down the road 

 towards Field. Here Vestal and Precious alone stuck to it all down the road to 

 the Field farm, where the huntsman held them on past the buildings, when, 

 getting on the grass again, with a cheering cry, every hound could own the scent. 

 Their fox tried the pit-hole here, but either the earth was stopped or he was too 

 hot to go in, for they ran on past it as if for Carry Coppice. But no, he would 

 not have that either, so, forging on, probably fairly tired by this time, he made 

 for another shelter. That, too, he passed by and ran parallel with the Carry 

 Coppice lane, till he got past the coppice. Then he turned left over the lane, 

 where they checked. Only for a moment, though, for, hitting it off through 

 the gateway, they ran fast, parallel with the lane, to the four lane ends at the 

 beginning of Loxley Park Wood. They carried the line down the road towards 

 Woodcock Heath for two or three hundred yards, and then could hit it off nowhere. 

 They made their own cast to the right, and Stephen made his to the left, in the 

 wood, and then a wide one all round and forward to the right, but to no pnrpose. 

 So a good fox beat them after a capital hunt of over an hour. 



The Meynell hounds met at Foston Hall on Monday, December 4th, and 

 drew together what was generally regarded as a record attendance. It was 

 '• open house " at the Hall, and the Hon. George and Lady Mildred Allsopp 

 entertained all comers with the most generous hospitality. Those present included 

 the Master and Mrs. Fort, Col. R. W. Chandos-Pole (Radburne), Col. the Hon. 

 Wenman Coke, Lady Mosley and the Misses Mosley, Mr. and Mrs. Wallroth, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Brace, the Misses Gretton (Sudbury), Mr. and Mrs. Kempson, Miss 

 Firman, Mrs. Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boden, Capt, the Hon. Herbert and 

 Mrs. Allsopp, Mr. and Miss Victoria Okeover, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Chamngton, 

 Mr. Maynard, Mr. and Miss Hartley, the Rev. J. S. Penley, Mr. Caldecott, Mr. 

 and Mrs. Jervis Smith and Miss Smith, Mr. Brenchley, Mr. Power, Mr. Wade, 

 Mr. Winterbottom, Mr. Henry Boden, the Rev. Charles Boden, Mr. Henry 

 Charrington, Mr. Bristowe, Major Mcyrick, Mr. Thynne, Mr. and Mrs. Petre, Mr. 

 and Mrs. Frank Cooper, Mr. Mainwaring, Mr. Tinsley, Mr. Alfred Duncombe, Mr. 

 J. Smith, Major and Mrs. Dugdale, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Newton, Mr. and Mrs. 

 H. Ratcliff, Mr. Richardson, Messra. Carhsle, Mr. and Mrs. Arliss, Mr. and Mrs. 

 F. W. Peacock, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Gisborne, Mr. Sitwell, General Fowler Butler, 

 Mr., Mrs. and Miss d'Arcy Clarke, Major Roy, and Mr, G. Statham. A start was 

 made with a fox in the Pudding Bag, who broke away boldly at the Scropton 

 end, crossed the main Derby road, and pointed for Pennywaste. Scent was bad, 

 60 hounds could only poke along after him as he turned for the top covert. Here 

 they chopped one and got away with another, who led them back to the Pudding 



