1817J THE FIRST WILL 8MITH. 31 



brought ofif a fast gallop from Claxby Wood, running at 

 such a pace that no horse could live with them. The fox 

 went away through the wood towards the low country, 

 but doubled back through the wood for Nor Woods, 

 turnino- left-handed short of these round the brow of the 

 hill to Otby, and with the house on the right running to 

 the Stainton plantation. Hounds ran straight through the 

 coverts and killed their fox in orthodox style at the other 

 end. They had run with no end of dash, but displayed 

 the greatest steadiness among the many hares in the 

 coverts. 



Two sharp bursts are noted on February 19th, from 

 Kirmington Yale, one a smart ring round Hendale, 

 Cottagers' Dale, Little Limber, Kirmington, and Croxton 

 Moor, back to Kirmington, where tliey killed their fox in 

 Mr. Cartwright's yard ; and the other from Somerby low 

 covert, by Cream Poak, with Somerby and Bigby on the 

 right ; over the hills to Searby, where the fox went to 

 ground in a drain. He was dug out, and, after a ring or 

 two on the Somerljy liillside, was caught and killed. 



The 28th, too, was productive of a very fine hunting- 

 run, hounds unfortunately changing when they were on 

 the point of catcliing their first fox, and having to be 

 stopped from the second, just when he was coming to 

 hand, owing to the darkness. They had met at Goxhill 

 Cross-lanes, and finding in Mr. Goulton's covert, took two 

 or three turns in covert before going away to the Burnham 

 Warren Lane, thence to Kingsforth House, and right- 

 handed, with Barton on the left, through Mr. Uppleby's 

 plantation to Barrow Haven. Here the fox turned to the 

 right towards Barrow, skirting the lower part of the 

 village in a line for Goxhill, where hounds hunted up to 

 him, lying in some fallows, and so got a view. Then they 

 ran, skirting the Allands, between Goxhill and Tunnard's 

 plantation towards Thornton College, but turning short 

 to the left, with Littleworth on the left, they ran the 

 bank, with the main drain on the right, to Halton Skitter, 

 Another turn to the left and the fox took the Humber 



