38 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [I8is 



whole pack ran splendidly, but Bluclier led tliem all the 

 way. Will was magnificently carried Ijy Sir Harry, 

 tlie horse already referred to. 



A real good fox took hounds a long journey on April 

 4th, the extreme points being Bradley Wood and Claxby 

 Wood, thirteen miles as the crow flies. He was found in 

 Laceby Cottagers' Plats, and went away through Bradley 

 Wood and the Gears towards Waltham, and, with the 

 village close on the left, towards Brigsley. Then he 

 turned right-handed over the Barton Street, and with 

 both Hatcliife village and Croxby Pond close on the left, 

 led the way over Croxby and Thoresway Warren to 

 Normanby, where he was headed, and turned towards 

 Nettleton, and then left-handed to Claxby Wood, where 

 he ran hounds out of scent. 



Smith was not out on April 1 7th, the last day of the 

 season (he had also been absent on two or three occasions 

 before), on which day two and a half couple of hounds got 

 away from the rest of the pack with a fox which they 

 hunted from Buslingthorpe, through Wickenby village, 

 and with Holton Beckerino; on the right, to Nor Woods. 

 Smith learnt this the next day from a farmer who went 

 with them to the Nor Woods without check, but his liorse 

 being so beat he left them there. Blowsey, Marplot, Gim- 

 crack, Woldsman, and Sprightly were the hounds, and 

 from the farmer's description the latter was leading all 

 the way. It had been an indifferent day's sport, but this 

 would have been a grand gallop had any one been there 

 to enjoy it. 



In spite of one or two blank days, it had been a most 

 excellent season, full of good things, and the huntsman 

 placed 132 foxes to his credit. 



The cub-hunting season of 1818 was a very bad one, 

 one of the worst in Will Smith's recollection. The country 

 was very dry, and scent so bad that they frequently had 

 to stop hunting ; consequently little was known of the 

 merits of the young hounds, and only twelve brace of cubs 

 were killed. 



