1900] GREAT DAY WITH THE "SQUIRE'S" HOUNDS. 327 



ran down, with Fradswell on their right, to the main road from Milwich to 

 Gayton, where they checked. Hitting it ofi" beyond the wood, they hunted slowly 

 «p to Sandon Wood. Without touching this, they bore right-handed nearly to 

 ^lilwich, and, working round by Coton, lost their fox at Witheysitch. He must 

 have been a travelling customer, for, though they ran mostly up-wind, he fairly 

 van them out of scent. A curious incident of the run was the picking up of 

 four couples of the North Stafford hounds, who had met that day at Sandon. 

 These joined ours, and went home with them. If we killed no fox, we at least 

 saved the life of a sheep, who was rescued by some keen fox-hunters on foot 

 from a thicket, where he lay fast bound on his back, and where he would 

 inevitably have died, had the Hunt not happened to have passed that way. 



On Thursday, from Radburne, the Squire's hounds had a remarkable run of 

 over three hours, with an eight-mile point and fully twenty miles as hounds ran. 

 It was a great day and deserves a longer account than it is possible to give in 

 these notes. Langley on one side of the country and Sapperton on the other 

 were the farther points. The hunted fox went to ground in Hilton Gorse, and 

 no doubt the rest of it, from Hilton Gorse by Hatton, Pennywaste, Sapperton, 

 and Barton Blount, was with a fresh one. 



On Friday, Walton sustained its reputation, for hounds found in Walton 

 AVood, ran fast by ^Mr. Ratcliff 's Gorse, nearly to Lullington, turned right-handed 

 ]iy Homestall Wood to Catton, where they ran into him handsomely in the 

 hollow by the keeper's house, after a capital thirty-five minutes, in the very spot 

 where they killed one this year, and also one last season. In the afternoon they 

 found in Edengale osiers, and ran liy Haselour down to the Mease. Here the 

 fox crossed the river by an overhanging pollard willow, and every hound in tuni 

 followed suit. So they ran in a lojig streamer, unaccompanied, for no horseman 

 can cross the river here, to Elfonl Gorse, where the field got up to them. Hence 

 they hunted on to Harleston and lost him. 



Saturday, Anslow. — They ran fast from behind Needwood House to the 

 Deanery and lost him. The rest of the day calls for but little comment. 



Monday, March 12tli, at Bentley Brickyard, was a day which rather lent 

 itself to lengthy description. It began well and ended well, while the middle 

 part was not without interest — three things which, they say, go to the making 

 of a good novel. And has not every hunting day somewhat of romance in it ? A 

 good deal, a cynic might remark, if you listen to some people. Well, to make a 

 start after this preamble. Hounds found a fox in Bentley Car and ran him right 

 merrily to ground in the well-known earth close to Osmaston, by the side of the 

 bridle-way from the Alkmonton- Shirley road to Osmaston Manor. Short and 

 sweet, and indicative of better things to come. Yet faith was needed, for they 

 were long in coming. Bentley Car foxes had taken the hint from the first draw, 

 and were not there at the second time of asking. Nor was there a fox in Cubley 

 Car, though the gorse proved staunch. A small ring thence and back again, with 

 a poor scent, was the prelude. Away again over the Cuble^'-Marston lane, then 

 right-handed by the Thurvaston Arms, down towards Boston, where three forward 

 riders [Mr. Barnsley, Mr. Maynard, and Mr. Tinsley], each picking his own place, 

 gallantly charged the Roston bottom, and each and all, side by side, kissed their 

 Mother Earth. Each one had cause to remember the embrace, though no serious 

 harm was done. Bearing right-handed, hounds lost their fox near Cinder Hill. 

 He may have got into the old quarry workings. Another fox — verily, the 

 Snelston and Norbury estates held foxes galore this day — was viewed going 

 away from Shutt's Dumble (whence the great run in the Squire's time, in 1888, 



