181 6J THE FIRST WILL SMITH. 29 



fox waited here, and the pack, starting on good terms, sent 

 him back with a rattle to Hackthorn Gorse, where they 

 marked him to ground. 



On December 2od hounds hunted a Bradley Wood fox 

 to death, killing him at Irby Dales. Scent was not par- 

 ticularly good at first, but it improved wonderfully after- 

 wards, enabling hounds to bring off a brilliant burst from 

 Irby Holme, through Henholes and over Swallow to Ca- 

 bourne Parva, left-handed towards Swallow, and right- 

 handed towards Cuxwold ; but the fox was too beat, and 

 hounds too close to him to continue to run straioht, so he 

 doubled back to Swallow, where hounds ran from s(tcnt to 

 view, and killed him. 



There was a very hard, ringing day from tlie kennels 

 on December 14th, hounds covering an immense amount 

 (jf ground, and having to be stopped at length when all 

 the horses were beat. They found in Mr. Fox's covert, 

 and, after a turn or two in covert, went away to Habrough 

 Field and left-handed to Killing] lolme, which they skirted 

 en route for Thornton. Next came a riupf throuech Mr. 

 Bygott's covert, Mr. Fox's covert, and Habrough village 

 in the direction of Roxton Wood, from which point the 

 fox was headed and turned short back to Habrough, 

 placing the church on the left as he ran to Houlton's 

 covert. Here tliey had four foxes afoot, going away 

 with one over the marshes to Jenny Hill, thence through 

 Chase Hill as if for Killingholme, and left still through 

 Burkinshaw's covert to Jenny Hill again. Hounds placed 

 this on their left, and ran on to Houlton's covert, and 

 with Burkinshaw's covert on the right, ran through Chase 

 Hill to the Humber bank ; then they swung round right- 

 handed down the marshes, placing Jenny Hill and Imming- 

 Jiam right and left as they pointed for Roxton Wood, till 

 a turn to the left set them running straight for Stalling- 

 borough. But Smith then learnt that he had a fresh fox 

 in front of him, and so he stopped the hounds at the first 

 opportunity. It was an exceedingly hard day, but the 

 pack ran very stout indeed, Granville, Valiant, Blowsey, 



