1901] A FOX-KILLING DAY. 351 



which lies below Wyaston, the main body caught up their leaders. At least 

 it looked like the main body, but it turned out later on that about six couples 

 had run sharp to the left Bradley-wards just before this, with half the field 

 with them, and had eventually been stopped by the first whipper-in, ynth a very 

 tired fox just ahead of them. Pity they did not go on and catch him. Mean- 

 while, the main body, in fact, ran into Shirley Park with their fox sorely dis- 

 tressed, not fifty j^ards in front of them, though they, for some strange reason, 

 checked outside. They were soon on the line, and pushed their fox right through 

 and out on the top side towards Rodsley. No sooner were they away than they 

 turned very short left, sinking the hill, and slipping every one for the time being 

 except the Master, who was with them, till they killed their fox in Shirley 

 village, after a first-rate hound run. The only drawback was their dividing. 

 After rejoining forces, they found in Shirley Park, and ran fast to the well-known 

 earth on the bridle-road to Shirley, where they checked. There was a halloa 

 back and the huntsman cast that way, but soon realizing that it was no good, he 

 caught hold of his hounds, and by a rattling good bold forward cast towards 

 Longford, recovered the line, and hounds ran nicely to Longford Car. They 

 were no sooner at one end than the fox was halloaed away at the other towards 

 the Hall, and they ran well by Reeve's Moor, across the Hollington road, till they 

 bowled over a dog fox halfway between Longford and Culland. 



" Never more for the covert, liis purpose had failed hiui. 

 Tho' to gain tlic old slielter hu gallantly tried 

 In vain the last double, for Derelict nailed him. 

 Who, whoop ! In the open the veteran died." 



After drawing Alkmonton Bottoms blank, they found in Bentley Car, and caught 

 this fox, too, in the open, after but a short shrift. Then they found in Cubley 

 Gorse, and ran well to ground in the Cinder Hill quarries, thus ending a capital 

 day's sport with no fox unaccounted for. Could any hounds do better? 



Tuesday, Birch Wood Park, and another beautiful hunting morning. Drew 

 Birch "Wood blank, though they found and chopped one in the Fradswell durables. 

 Every one, by the way, was glad to see Mrs. Murphy out again after her illness. 

 Then we went to Chartley Gorse, ran one to ground, and started digging, while 

 hounds drew on for another, which they found and ran out towards Fradswell, 

 checking after running two fields. However, a left-hand cast recovered the line, 

 and they ran well by Turner's Gorse and over the Stafford turnpike to the right 

 of Mr. Nuttall's house and checked, pointing for Chartley Gorse. liUckily the 

 Master knew something, or had information, for he advised a cast back over the 

 road, whence we came, and it proved successful. Hitting the line, hounds ran 

 well to the left of Mr. Nuttall's house, more or less parallel with, and sometimes 

 on, the railway to Grindley station, to the left of which they ran, till they crossed 

 it, and marked their fox to ground on the banks of the Blythe, opposite Wanfield 

 Coppice, after a merry twenty-seven minutes — official time. Then we went back 

 to Chartley Gorse to see how the digging prospered, and on the way there Mrs. 

 Fort, in opening a gate, had the misfortune to dislocate her elbow. This 

 necessitated the Master's going home, and threw a gloom over the subsequent 

 proceedings ; so much so, in fact, that every one thought of going home at once. 

 But it is quite certain that Mrs. Fort herself would have been the last one to have 

 wished it. Still, the writer feels that he is safe in saying that any mishap to Mrs. 

 Fort is looked upon as affecting the whole Meynell Hunt, and thus, if sympathy 

 is any consolation, she may feel sure that she has it to the full. There were two 

 foxes in the earth, a dog and a vixen. The former was duly killed and eaten, 



