1900] A TERRIER KILLS THE FOX. 323 



on in the day of a well-known member of the Hunt, but it luckily only resulted in 

 spoiling a good hat. The day began badly in a series of disappointments, for 

 Newton Gorse, the Rectory Plantation, Spencer's Plantation, Blithfield Gorse, 

 and the Bishton coverts were all drawn blank. A fox, however, was at home in 

 Coley Gorse, but whether the covert being drawn the reverse way to what it 

 usually is upset his ideas or what, he obstinately refused to quit his quarters, and 

 had to be left there. They found in the square covert at Blithfield a mangy fox, 

 who sought shelter and a substitute in Duckley Wood, and found both. For 

 after being there for the best part of ten minutes hounds got away with a fresh 

 one, and ran him nicely across to the Warren, and then by Newtonhurst and 

 Bagot's Bromley into Bagot's big wood, where a rare good terrier, who was 

 rabbiting with Abberley, the keeper, nailed the fox and held him till the hounds 

 came up and finished him. Time, twenty-five minutes, including the interval in 

 Duckley Wood. They then drew Kingston Wood, and, finding a good straight- 

 necked fox, ran him by Dowry Wood, and left-handed by Callow Hall on to the 

 Warren. Here their fox made a loop before reaching Stansley Wood, and 

 hounds, overrunning the line in their eagerness, came to a check. The huntsman, 

 however, soon set them right — in fact, all through this good hunt they never 

 looked to him in vain — and they bustled merrily through Stansley Wood out on to 

 the far-stretching meadows by the Blythe down to Blithe Moor. Here they swung 

 left-handed over the lane, and with Forge Coppice well on the left, hunted slowly, 

 but prettily, to ground in a rabbit-warren one field beyond Ox Close Wood on the 

 Blithbury side. They never ran very fast, it is true, as the time, fifty-four 

 minutes with a five-mile point, goes to show ; still, those who were with them had 

 the pleasure of watching hounds hunt in peace and contentment, while they rode 

 at their ease over a charming line of country, undisturbed by a large crowd of 

 emulous horsemen, than which nothing so mars the enjoyment of a hunting run. 

 On Thursday we looked out on a white world, and there was just room for 

 doubt as to whether hounds would bunt. However, on they went to Thurvaston 

 Stoop, and, as good luck would have it, the snow went too, so that, though it 

 balled a little in the morning, by the afternoon it was all gone. Culland was 

 drawn first, and every one must have regretted the absence of its owner, Mr. 

 Gisborne, who, in company with others of our best and bravest, has exchanged 

 the image of war for the reality — all honour to them. There was a brace of 

 foxes, and one — a mangy brute — did his duty by falling a victim. The other they 

 ran slowly, crossing the boggy brook en route to the Fishpond Covert at Brails- 

 ford. Here they probably changed, and, bearing left-handed, ran out over the 

 Ashbourne-Derby road, through the corner of White's Wood, pointing for 

 Mercaston, before reaching which they lost him after a slow hunt of twenty-five 

 minutes with an indifferent scent. A miserable, cold hour, or the best — if there 

 was any best — part of one, was spent by Brailsford Gorse with a bad or unlucky 

 fox, for, breaking on the Ednaston side, a sheep-dog coursed him back again. 

 Perhaps the memory of the sheep-dog headed him when he turned back after 

 going two fields on the other side, and nothing would induce him to venture forth 

 again, so he had to be left where he was. They found again in the Fishpond 

 Covert, and ran slowly back for Burrows, turned to the right, and with Pool Head 

 on the right, passed Culland on the right, crossed the brook, and hunted slowly 

 along the wet meadows pointing for HoUington. Bearing to the left before 

 reaching it, they checked by the old stud farm at Longford. A backward cast 

 recovered the line, and they hunted slowly back towards Culland till they were 

 quite run out of scent, as the fox had got a long way in front of them, after 

 twenty-seven minutes. Boden's Thorns holds good foxes, and one of the right 



