1819] THE FIRST "WILL SMITH. 41 



turned away left-handed tlirough Goxhill AUands, and 

 from thence, with Thornton village on the left, went over 

 Wootton Park, past the house, and through the village 

 towards Dunkirk. Being headed on the road, the fox 

 turned to the left as if for Ulceby, and then right-handed 

 across Ulceby Field to Croxton and pointing for Yar- 

 borough Camp. With the covert on the right the fox ran 

 past Kirmington Yale as if for Hendale, but he turned 

 back short to the left, and, with Kirmington village on the 

 right, ran to Ulceby Moor. Hounds then had three or 

 four lines ; but the leaders neither swerved nor paused, 

 and pressed on steadily through Newsham, with the pond 

 on the right, to Habrough Field. Close to Habrough 

 village the fox was headed, and turned right-handed 

 through Waterhills and Rough Pastures to the plantation 

 behind Mr. Robert Barton's house, where he lay down, too 

 exhausted to proceed, and the hounds hunted up to him 

 and killed him there, he being scarcely able to make an 

 eftbrt to escape. Scent in the morning had not been 

 particularly good, but after leaving Goxhill it gradually 

 improved, and though hounds never went very fast, they 

 kept pegging away and never left the line for an instant. 



On March 5th Mr. Barton's horse kicked Lightfoot on 

 the head, killing him instantly. The season came to an 

 end on March 26th, much earlier than usual, on account of 

 the very dry state of the country ; it had been a very 

 satisfactory one on the whole and (juite as good as most 

 packs enjoyed. Hounds killed one hundred and four 

 foxes and ran forty-six to ground. 



Equally unlucky were they as to climatic conditions 

 when a fresh start was made, and the cub-hunting season 

 of 1819 was hopelessly bad, there not being one good 

 scenting day. At times hounds were taken home and given 

 walking exercise, and it is the old huntsman's opinion that 

 huntino- under such adverse conditions does more harm 

 than good to the young hounds, and that they are better 

 at home. They killed eighteen brace of cubs. 



The season proper began nt Roxton Wood on October 



