66 The Bedale Hounds, 1832-1908 



cording that Mr. Wilson, of Cliffe Hall, Mr. 

 Masterman, Major Scrope, and the Master, 

 had the best of the run. 



It is to be feared that towards the end of 

 Mr. Duncombe's mastership, hunting matters 

 had got rather slack. The breech loading 

 gun had recently been introduced, and, 

 whether this induced a larger head of game 

 to be reared and maintained, making the 

 shooting thereof a more important business 

 than it had been previously ; there is no 

 doubt that the supply of foxes sadly dimin- 

 ished, and keenness for ' ' hunting with the 

 running hounds ' ' was deplorably on the 

 wane. 



Mr. John Booth is reported to have said 

 that during his first season, ' ' he rode five 

 hundred miles over the Bedale country 

 without touching the line of a fox.'' 



Let us hope that such a fearful stigma 

 will never again attach itself to the * ' Bedale ' ' 

 so long as a pack of foxhounds exists therein. 



