First Whipper-in. 165 



days sport and at least ten "first chop" days, but I cannot 

 give an account of them all, and many, I understand, are 

 referred to in former chapters. The season of 1882-3 

 was not of course such a splasher as the previous one, 

 but we had a lot of real good sport, and made it warm 

 for the cubs in September, as I know that we killed a 

 leash the first day, about the middle of September, at 

 Foxton plantation and Bog Hall whin, and broke up two 

 and a half brace at Bradbury Wood* (where there has 

 been bloodthirsty work on more than one occasion) and 

 Coldsides. We also did very well in October, and altogether 

 had a brisk cub hunting season, killing nineteen foxes in 

 the fourteen days on which we were out. 



On October 13th, we had a clinking good day from 

 Barmpton, when we found a fox in Barmpton whin, which 

 crossed the Skerne twice and ran to ground in Stobbs' 

 earth, after a hard run all over the country of an hour and 

 fifty minutes. What I remember best is that when we 

 checked at the Skerne the first time of crossing, old " Agent," 

 sire of the dog that ate the meat and sausages at Crox- 

 dale Hall (by Agent, — Morpeth — Matron), swam the Skerne, 

 which was running bank top full, cast himself to the right 

 and hit off the line ; when he threw his tongue the rest of 

 the pack swam over and away they went. We had to go 

 round by the bridge at Barmpton. 



On October 27th, 1882, when the meet was at Thorpe 

 we had another clinking good day after a stormy blustering 



• The largest number of cubs killed in one morning at Bradbury Wood is ten, viz : — 

 four and a half brace accounted for at the time, and one picked up next morning, 

 making five brace. It may be added that at the same time six brace went away 

 before a kill was recorded ! Possibly the North Durham hounds have eclipsed 

 this, as I hear on the authority of their Master, that they once killed in one day 

 the following mixed bag, viz. : — a brace of foxes, two cats, one hare, one cock pheasant, 

 one weasel, and one hedgehog ! 



