32 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [1817 



bank and ran over the mud. There was not a scrap of 

 scent, but the huntsman was not to be beaten, so tracked 

 the print of his pads in the mud for over a mile, till he 

 took to the bank asfain. Hounds once more started to 

 run, hunting in fine style towards Goxhill Haven, and 

 left-handed over the marshes as if for Barrow Hand. It 

 was slow but most perfect hunting. Near Barrow Hand, 

 unfortunately, a fresh fox jumped up in view out of a 

 hedgerow, and hounds raced him awav to Goxhill Haven, 

 where he was headed short back to the right along the 

 Qfreen lane towards Goxhill ; then he turned ri^ht-handed 

 over the enclosures to Littleworth, and after two rings 

 there, ran short back through Layburn's plantation towards 

 Langmere Furze, hounds being stopped before reaching 

 the covert. Smith thinks that, had daylight held out 

 a little longer, he could have killed his fox. 



There was a very hard day and a good sporting- 

 day, too, from Houlton's covert on March 5th, hounds 

 finding at once, and with Immingham close on the left, 

 racing away to Roxton Wood, where, after a turn or two 

 in covert, they killed their fox. They then went back to 

 Reeds Mere, ran towards Little London with a brace of 

 foxes in front of them, turning right-handed back through 

 Immingham, and left towards Roxton, and thence to Little 

 London again. Here hounds chanoed on to the line of 

 the other Reeds Mere fox, which led to the left of Stalling- 

 borough, the bulk of the pack coming to a check, while 

 two and a half couples went on with their fox unobserved. 

 Turning to the right, the fox crossed Healing; Field, and with 

 Wyber's Wood on the left ran to Coates Bogs. Turning 

 to the left, hounds then hunted on through Great Coates 

 village, where the fox was headed towards Grimsby, and 

 hounds got into difficulties. They next found in Riby 

 Slingsmere and killed their fox ; and from Keelby Spro- 

 thorns, after two or three turns in covert, went away to 

 Roxton Wood, where they had several lines and killed 

 a fox. They ran hard in covert for some time, and then 

 went away towards Stallingborough, turning right-handed 



