YORKSHIRE 269 



well up and their sterns well down. But to the following circum- 

 stance is to be attributed the scattering of the field, and the stoppage 

 of the horses. — The space between all the checks — and there were 

 only four in an hour and fifty minutes, and those very short ones — 

 was very considerable ; and the last, which did the greatest mischief, 

 was full six miles, with the hounds going very best pace, and at 

 every yard gaining on their fox. We killed him in a whin ; and I 

 shall never forget the pleasure I felt when I heard the pack at bay. 

 " He's gone to ground," said Mr. Harland, who was making his way 

 into the whin with Mr. John Shafto. " Not a bit of it," exclaimed 

 I ; " they have killed him, by G — d ! " and, putting my finger to my 

 ear, halloo'd " who- whoop " till my breath was gone. 



If ever the condition of hounds was put to a strong test, and 

 proved to be good, it was in this chase. I had the pleasure of seeing 

 them run into their, fox, and for the last two miles they carried a 

 head such as is seldom surpassed in a ten minutes' burst with a 

 burning scent. Every hound was in his place, and if ever the stale 

 simile of covering them with a sheet might be allowed to be applied, 

 it may not be extravagant to do so here. I said it at the moment, 

 and I repeat it now, that nothing could exceed the stoutness of these 

 hounds on this day ; and nothing but the excellence of their con- 

 dition could have produced such a finish. They had been running 

 over a severe and deep country, with a great deal of plough and a 

 great deal of fencing, for two hours save seven minutes ; but their 

 powers were quite undiminished to the last : and I shall never forget 

 the pace they ran, up hill, over a large field, which led to the whin in 

 which they killed. 



The latter part of this run was over as distressing a country for 

 horses as I ever witnessed. The fields were large — several of them 

 forty or fifty acres each — and ploughed, or in stubble. In the last 

 half hour we had several of these to traverse obliquely, which greatly 

 distressed the few horses that were then struggling to keep up, and 

 they dropped off apace. My recollection affords me no instance of 

 greater distress than was seen on this memorable day. Some men 

 were leading their horses ; others trying to urge them on in a walk ; 

 but all would not do : they were obliged to decline — for the fact is, 

 the condition of the hounds was too good for that of the horses. 



