00 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [185'J 



Beginning with a very fast gallop from Grainsby 

 Holme to Hoi ton Cross, they lost tlieir fox there in sudden 

 and mysterious manner, and so went back to Grainsby 

 Healing for a fresh start. Hounds were soon away again, 

 running through the village, and with Grainsby House 

 close on the left, over the Park and straight to Ashby 

 village. Placing this close on the left, and Brigsley 

 village close on the right, the fox then turned left-handed 

 as if for Ravendale ; but he turned short right-handed 

 over the brook, and was headed to the left at AValtham 

 village. Barnoldby was then placed close on the right, 

 and the pack swept on, with the Barton street on the left 

 hand, straight to the Welbech spring, where they crossed 

 the road and ran nearly to Irl)y Holme. A right and left 

 turn, and Irby village lay close on the right as hounds 

 pressed on down the slopes to Irby Dales, from which 

 covert the fox was viewed away, looking very beat, and 

 hunting him beautifully across Riby Park, they caught 

 him in the Hermitage, after a very fine run of an hour 

 and a quarter. Smith says no hounds could have worked 

 lietter, and they hunted a most curious running fox to 

 })erfection ; he ran through some of the villages and 

 skirted others, and he never missed a single flock of sheep 

 in his line. At times hounds went a great pace. 



Two days later there was another good gallop from 

 Nettleton Lodge, though only of twenty minutes' duration, 

 for hounds went a tremendous pace and never checked for 

 an instant. Finding near the Lodge, the pack dashed 

 away to Clixby Hall, pressing on hotly to Searby C/Overt, 

 and after a very sharp ring or two round the covert, 

 returned by Clixby Hall to Nettleton Woods, where they 

 ran into him — a fine old dog fox. There were also some 

 nice gallops from the Nettleton Woods and Rothwell 

 Gorse during the day, the latter being a capital hunt of 

 an hour and ten minutes, but a storm at Hatcliffe village 

 robbed hounds of their fox. 



There was yet another good day's sport on January 

 9th from Swinhope House, and Smith speaks in high 



