THE STAINTON DALE 51 



Fylingdales, and George Cummings, shoemaker of 

 Robin Hood's Bay. It was the custom of the 

 time to compose verses in honour of good day's 

 sport, and these were sung in the pubhc-houses of 

 the district, for drinking and hunting were closely 

 associated. The story goes that the followers of 

 the hunt had tracked a fox in the snow to a granary, 

 and from there to his earth in Fylingdales. Digging 

 him out, the fox was kept in a stable, and one fine 

 day carried off in a bag to the moor, where he was 

 shaken down. A great hunt resulted, lasting all 

 day, and the crowning event of the kill made it 

 a most memorable occasion for the rugged coast- 

 land district. The " running counter " mentioned 

 in the seventh verse was, " that soon after the 

 turning down, the hounds got on the ' line ' of a cur 

 bitch belonging to Ramsdale Mill and ran her home : 

 they then had to go back some miles and hunt the 

 line again." 



The hound " Dancer " was kept until he was a 

 great age, and they used to carry him in a " hopper " 

 to the meets. He was good at hitting off a line when 

 no other hound could own to a scent. It is said to 

 be a very true account of the hunt, except as 

 regards the horses, which were of no class at all, 

 and from first to last it w^as more or less walking a 

 fox to death at a slow pace. The first foot-hunter 

 up, was Stockdale, a weaver, an oldish man and a 

 marvellous runner who afterwards regaled himself 

 at Saltersgate Inn with a raw fox-leg and gin. 



There appears to have been thirteen hounds out, 

 and the following thirteen verses were inspired by 

 the excitement of the occasion : — 



