316 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1900 



Mr. Bentley's stackyard, across Firs Lane, where their fox was headed close to 

 Sailors' Home osier-bed, and turned sharp back over the Marston Fields. Hounds 

 slipped along at a good pace over the high road, through Simon's home, and 

 over the Scropton lane, on to Mr. Shipton's farm, down to the railway. Cross- 

 ing this, they ran down to the Dove, and turned parallel with it towards Tutbury. 

 But this bold-hearted fox was not to be beaten by any river, for he crossed it 

 bravely, and set his mask for Castle Hayes. Hounds dashed in in his wake, and 

 pursued their course, while their followers had to gallop best pace for Tutbury 

 Bridge, with the exception of the second whipper-in and three or four more, who 

 made use of the bridge of the alabaster railway. Luckily, hounds ran but slowly 

 after swimming the river, as is usually the case, so the field, who went by Castle 

 Hill, Tutbury, caught them up before they got to Castle Hayes, and the fox saved 

 his brusli, as he deserved to do, by getting to ground in a strong badger's earth 

 hard by. So ended a capital day's sport, which sent every one home delighted. 

 On Friday the Master treated us to a bye-day at Cubley Stoop, where a small 

 but very keen division assembled. Finding in Cubley Gorse, they ran across to 

 the Car, and drove merrily the whole length of it and out over the lane at the 

 end. Forging nicely on up-wind, though at no great pace, they hunted up to 

 Mr. Thorley's farm, Birch Wood Park, and so over the Marston-Montgomery- 

 Snelston road, pointing for Roston. Perhaps our fox was headed here ; at any 

 rate, hounds could not carry the line any further, so the huntsman made a quick 

 cast back over the road again, and, hitting off the Hne, hunted his fox back to 

 Cubley Gorse. After some delay he was halloaed away at the bottom end, and 

 they ran nicely along the Car towards the lane at the end, where the fox was 

 headed. Only momentarily though, for he slipped out behind the people who 

 had headed him, ran parallel with the lane for three or four fields, pointing for 

 the Marston-Snelston road, and then, crossing the lane, ran nicely to Birch Wood 

 Park farm again, but this time our fox turned to the right, and, leaving the 

 Birch Wood on his left, ran nearly up to the Cubley-Ashbourne road. Being 

 headed by the carriages, he turned right-handed, parallel with the road, back to 

 Cubley Car and across into the gorse. Hounds had now been running for the 

 best part of an hour, if not more, and if we had not changed foxes meantime our 

 friend should be getting tired. But in all probability we had changed, as two, if 

 not three, foxes had been in evidence. After bustling about for some time in the 

 thick covert hounds got away with a fox, who crossed the Marston-Cubley lane, 

 halfway between Marston and Cubley Stoop, and set his head for Malcomsley. 

 But he was going a good deal faster than scent would allow hounds to go, and 

 the too pressing attentions of an over eager field did not improve matters. So 

 the pace slowed down, till hounds had to look to their huntsman for assistance. 

 Nor did they look in vain, for a good forward cast put matters right, and they 

 began running again merrily towards the green lane from Cubley to Vernon's 

 Oak. Here the fox was headed by a group of second horsemen, and, turning 

 right-handed, parallel with the main Ashbourne road, made for Sudbury Coppice. 

 There were two lines in covert, and hounds got away with a fresh one, a good, 

 straight-necked fox, who took them in a nearly direct line to Bentley Car, Here 

 the hunted fox was viewed, but there were three or four others on foot, and, if 

 in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom, in the multiplicity of foxes there 

 is safety. So this one heat them after all, after two hours and twenty minutes, 

 which was a pity, as both huntsmen and hounds deserved blood, having hunted 

 right well. They found again in Sapperton, and ran hard to Mackley House. 

 Here, after a momentary check, they hit it off, and ran just outside Sudbury 

 Park as if they were going for Foston. But they turned right-handed and fairly 



