i84 Reminiscences of a 



Stovvell, who formerly lived there, and generally kept a few 

 good hunters on hand ; and was glad to offer a mount to 

 any one who could ride, and give them a schooling ; he 

 (Mr. Stowell) was a grand fox preserver, and Stowell's whin, 

 near Favordale, was a sure find, as he always prepared it 

 well with food — rabbits, hens, pigeons, etc. — for a day or 

 two before hounds came ; he also had a lot of dry drains 

 put down on his farm, for shelter for foxes in wet weather, 

 so that if we could not find a fox above ground, we gener- 

 ally were safe of one below. A little north of Favordale 

 lived a grand old sportsman, in his day, the late Colonel 

 Hall of Heighington, who never seemed to be really happy 

 unless he was out hunting, or on horseback, with his stud 

 of handy little light-weights ; he had two rattling good little 

 mares, a bay and a brown, the latter was called " Menzies," 

 after Mr. James Menzies, then of Sands Farm, Sedgefield, 

 and now the well known Clerk of the Course at Shincliffe ; 

 Sir William Eden bought her as a five-year-old, and she 

 carried me two or three seasons. When Sir William gave 

 up the hounds Mr. Ord bought her, at York, and she carried 

 Claxon a season, but was a trifle under his weight ; so Mr. 

 Ord let Colonel Hall have her, as he had always been very 

 " sweet on her," since the time he saw me pop over a big 

 fence and ditch near Simpasture, when the little mare 

 covered about twenty-four feet. I always heard that the 

 late Colonel Hall had been a very gallant soldier, and also 

 a very nice shot ; in fact he was a thorough all-round 

 sportsman and good entertainer of all fox-hunters, when 

 Lord Zetland's hounds met at Heighington. Being one of 

 the old-fashioned school, he was himself fond of a " horn of 

 old ale," and always highly recommended it ; from personal 

 experience I can say that it was worth all he said about it ; 



