1901] MR. BUNCOMBE MASTER FOR THE DAY. 343 



Monday, February 11th, Darley Moor. — The Master, to every one's regret, 

 was not well enough to be out, from the effects of his bad fall on Saturday, but 

 he was reported to be going on as well as could be expected. We generally 

 come in for something disagreeable at Darley Moor in the shape of weather, and 

 to-day was no exception, for there was still a great deal of snow left from the 

 recent storm, so it was decided to leave this cold spot and to go to Cubley. Mr. 

 Duncombe was acting master for the day. Hounds found at once in the gorse 

 and ran across to the Car, whence the fox succeeded in getting back to the 

 gorse. Hounds could barely own the line into it, and there did not seem to be 

 much scent. Perhaps it was with another customer that they got away again 

 on the Sudbury side. He turned up-wind, short back, before he got as far as 

 tlie farm between the gorse and the Marston-Cubley road, causing a short 

 clieck ; but no sooner did the hounds settle to the line than they ran hard for 

 ten blissful minutes, parallel at first with the grassy lane which leads Snelston- 

 wards, and then, still straight on, about three hundred yards to the right of the 

 Marston-Snelston road, to the right of the Cinder Hill Quarries, which looked 

 like his point, to ground under the road which leads from Cinder Hill to the 

 main Ashbourne road, just by the Queen's farm. This gallop was sweet, if 

 sliort, and was responsible for more than one dirtj' coat ; for, at the pace the 

 dog-hounds went, there was not much time for peeping at the fences. After 

 drawing Cubley Gorse again in vain, we went to Bentley Car, where a good fox 

 was waiting for us. First he tried to break covert on the top at the Alkmonton 

 end, but we were most of us there, and headed him. Then he tried the end 

 towards Bentley Old Hall, and a bevy of second horsemen and others headed 

 him. Next he went away towards the clump on the top of the hill, only to be 

 turned back once more. Nothing daunted, away he went at the bottom towards 

 Alkmonton bottom, but meeting a man with a dog, sought refuge in covert. 

 At the next attempt he succeeded in effecting his object, and was halloaed away 

 towards Bentley Old Hall. Getting on his line immediately, hounds ran him 

 from past the hall, down the hill to the brook below, and up the opposing slope, 

 leaving the Stydd just on their right. With unabated speed they still ran 

 u|)-wind, over the heavy plough towards the Ashbourne main road, pointing 

 straight for Cubley Gorse. On the road he was headed, and hounds checked 

 fur a moment ; but hitting it off, unassisted, just where the bridle-road from the 

 Stydd joins the main road, they ran on, twisting and turning with their fox 

 most beautifully, and going quite fast enough for most people over a deep and 

 heavy country, always to the right of the main road, pointing for the Holly Wood, 

 Snelston. Just skirting this, they passed to the right of it, turning rather down- 

 wind, and only running now in fits and starts, but never off the line. Shirley 

 Park looked like the point now, and they crossed the road which leads from 

 Wyaston to Yeaveley, where, scrambling down the steep bank into it, a capital 

 sportsman* had the misfortune to cut a good hunter's knees. Turning a point 

 more down-wind, they ran nicely to the earths by the bridle-road which leads to 

 Shirley Park ; but either they were stopped or the fox was too hot to go in, 

 for they ran on nicely to the road from Yeaveley to Eodsley, and then, slowly, 

 for a short distance parallel with the bridle-road, wliich takes you from here to 

 Alkmonton. Diverging from the bridle-road and pointing for Longford, some 

 arable land brought them to their noses, and while they were puzzling it out 

 patiently, some hounds ci'ossed the bottom below and started running back up 

 the hill towards Alkmonton. A fox has been lying hereabouts all the winter, 



* Mr. Tinsley. 



