THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



51 



the course. Starting at Mollington he took a north- 

 westerly direction across the valley, worked along 

 Edgehill and by Compton Wyniates to Hook Norton 

 Lodge. Here the writer makes him go an excursion 

 nearly to Aynho. This must be a mistake for 

 some other place nearer Hook Norton, for to have done 

 this he must have gone right across Oxfordshire and 

 back, a journey which would have left only a few miles 

 for the rest of the lengthy run. I think we may 

 therefore leave Aynho out of consideration and, 

 allowing for a more local intermediate point, take him 

 from Hook Norton Lodge to Whichford Wood. Roll- 

 right Coombs and Barton will be easily found at no 

 great distance from each other. Passing near the 

 Fourshire Stone his line enters the neighbouring 

 counties, pointing for Bourton-on-the-Hill. The end 

 came, in a manner I shall describe, near Evenlode, in 

 the county of Worcester. 



It was just getting dusk when the pack viewed their 

 fox, when Mr. Cockbill, who was on a bay horse, 

 named *• Sidentail," and Zac Goddard, the first whip, 

 on a chestnut horse named ** Little Surprise," and 

 bought from Mr. Corbet's stud were close together in 

 the front. Mr. Cockbill took a lead over the last fence, 

 an awkward hog-backed stile and ditch. When he had 

 safely landed, he halloo'd to the whip to hold hard as 

 the hounds were all singing with their heads in the air, 

 and had come to a sudden check. The pack quickly 

 repassed over the stile, with the exception of a one- 

 year-old bitch. Bauble, who in taking her leap 

 endeavoured to alight on the top of the stile, but 

 tumbled over. She regained the stile, and it was seen 

 that Reynard had taken refuge in a neighbouring tree. 

 Bauble seized him by the hind quarters but could not 

 pull him down. Zac caught him by the back of the 

 neck and dragged him from his hold, and thus ** the 

 Warwickshire " secured their well-earned booty. 



Lord Middleton 

 1811-1821. 



The death. 



