86 The Sedgefield Country 



and Bevans each leading their horses!" It must have been 

 a gruelling run !* 



To make up for the loss of sport occasioned by fog, 

 frost and snow in this season, hounds hunted up to April 

 21st, which is unusually late in the South Durham 

 Country. 



The season of 1886-7 was, like its predecessor, unsatisfac- 

 tory, owing to the long interregnum of frost and snow, 

 which prevented all hunting from December 13th, 1886, to 

 January 24th, 1887. Hounds were out on the 15th, but 

 were driven home early by the snowstorm which burst over 

 them, and continued more or less for six weeks. 



The best day of the whole season, which was only on a 

 par with the previous one so far as scent was concerned, 

 was, as so often happens, from Bishopton on February 4th, 

 1887. Foxhill, true to its name and traditions, held a brace, 

 one of which gave a sporting run of about 35 minutes, 

 by Sadberge, Longnewton and Elton, to ground at Bewley 

 Hill farm, in the same drain which afforded refuge to a fox 

 on March 20th, 1885.t A second, and even better run from 

 Oxeye ensued. Hounds fairly raced their fox by Elton and 

 Hartburn, and running into view two fields from Sandy 

 Lees, caught and killed him a few yards from the covert 

 after a clinking forty-four minutes. 



Towards the end of this season, William Claxon, who 

 had been rapidly increasing in weight for some time, gave 

 notice to Sir William of his intention to retire from the 



• I went to the meet of the Belvoir hounds at Easton this day, intending to hunt with them, 

 but before they moved off the Cottesmore hounds passed in full cry. and thinking ' a bird 

 in the hand was worth two in the bush,' joined them, but had the worst of the exchange. 



t This fox, it may be remembered by those who took part in the gallop, ran nearly three 

 miles, and for 25 minutes bang up wind the whole way and in the teeth of a hurricane; 

 a very unusual occurrence. 



