THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 189 



of ** the Warwickshire " remarked on one occasion that „^ Lord 



. , . • WlLLOUGHBT DE 



the Siberian winters they were having at this time Broke. 



rendered sport impossible even with a pack like theirs. 



A, similarly good run to that just given, and over 



the same line of country, but in the reverse direction, 



was run on February 8th, 1887, when an afternoon 



fox started at Compton Wyniates, was killed on the 



green near Kineton, after nearly an hour's work. 



Of the season 18S7-8, a day which will for a long A Shuckburgh 



11 mi Thursday. 



time be remembered, was a Shuckburgh Tnursday on 



the loth of March. The morning could not be called 

 inviting, and recent snows made the country some- 

 what unnegotiable. Nevertheless a good number 

 turned up at the meet to try what could be done, 

 but to ride with the hounds and to ride with the field 

 were two widely diflferent things that day. A fox 

 was found at Shuckburgh, and went oflf towards 

 Prior's Marston, and the hounds followed, on a good 

 high scent and at a great pace, by Prior's Hardwick 

 and Stoneton to Wormleighton Hill. At this point 

 he, without doubt, went to ground, and the hounds, 

 who were all alone, indulged in some digging-out 

 operations on their own account. Their e£forts might 

 have been successful, had Reynard waited, but, no 

 doubt finding the quarters too warm, he passed 

 through the earths and went on pointing for Water- 

 gall. The hounds hit his line and were quickly after 

 him, running in view down to a small spinney 

 adjoining the road from Banbury to Southam. They 

 checked for a minute or two at the bridge and again 

 at Wills' Pasture. But it was not destined to be effec- 

 tual on the fox's side, and a quick pace was resumed 

 across Lower Hodnel, Lower and Upper Radbourn, 

 and into the parish of Hardwick, and back to *' Doles 

 brickyard," which, early in the run, had, through the 

 snowdrifts, effectually stopped the horsemen ; and, 

 singularly enough, it was not until this second passage 



