64 THE BR0CKLE8BY HOUNDS. 11836 



was not got in till very late ; indeed, there was a lot of 

 corn standing in November.* Colonel Lowther, Lord 

 Lonsdale's son, was out on November 11 th at Blyborougli 

 Hall. Smith says he was tall and stout, appeared very 

 much like a sportsman, and took a great interest in the 

 working of the hounds. 



The first time hounds ever met at Nettleton Lodge 

 was on November 16th ; it was then the residence of Sir 

 Culling Smith. 



November 25th was one of the most extraordinary 

 days Smith ever knew, for hounds were running con- 

 tinuously from 11.15 till dark. For upwards of two hours 

 they were never very far from Hell Furze, running from 

 fox to fox. Scent was never very good, but sufficiently 

 so to enable hounds to be always running. Will says that 

 with a little more daylight he should have been certain to 

 kill his fox. He says that no hounds could have taken 

 more pains or worked better, and except for a few who 

 were short of work, they all ran very stout. After running 

 around Hell Furze, Beesby Wood, Hawerby, and Lud- 

 borough for some time, they went away by Ludborough 

 to Utterby, thence to Ormsby and Lambcroft, and nearly 

 to Grimble Wood ("an extraordinary odd-running fox "). 

 Then they went by Ormsby mill over Kelstern and Tows 

 to Tealby, and turning left-handed through Willingham 

 top covert, probably changed foxes. But they still hunted 

 on, and a fox was viewed ahead of them, he going by North 

 Willingham, over the hill and through the top covert to 

 Tealby Park, and after twisting and turning every hundred 

 yards, nearly to Walesby, where the pack was stopped 

 in the gathering darkness. Hounds accomplished a 

 twelve-mile point, though how many miles they actually 

 travelled it would be impossible to say, for they were 

 running all the time. 



The fair sex were evidently a novelty in the field in 

 those days, for on December 5 th Smith records the fact 



* On October 28th there was a heavy fall of snow, it being quite a foot deep on 

 the level. 



