1876J NIMROD LONG. 131 



and ran a twisting course to the Hatclitie valley, and 

 thence to Croxby Pond, going through the woods and by 

 the cross-roads nearly to Beelsby. But he turned short of 

 this village, and ran to Cuxwold Lodge, pointed for Badger 

 Hills, and then ran over Caljourne to the Pillar Woods, 

 which he reached only just in front of hounds. The pack 

 turned left-handed down the woods, but the fox, being 

 headed l)y a woodman, doubled back and crossed the Limber 

 and Swallow road in the direction of Riby. Near the top 

 buildings he lay down in some thorns ;! but he jumped up 

 wide of hounds, and managed to struggle over two fields 

 l)efore they ran into him near Limber Top, after a fast 

 run of one hour twenty minutes. The country rode very 

 deep, and there were only a few who got to the end of 

 the run. 



Two days later there was a splendid fifty minutes from 

 Oak Wood to the ]\Iausoleum, hounds actually running 

 from find to dark ; and on December i^:2nd they brought 

 ofi' a good hunt of two hours five minutes from Roxton 

 Wood, running from scent to view and killing their fox 

 near Grasby Bottom. 



But Friday, December ii9th, is a red-letter day in 

 Long's diary, for, with eight and a half couples of hounds, 

 he brought oft' a fine hunt of one hour forty-five minutes, 

 and, single-handed, killed his fox. They met that morning 

 at Thornton College, and di-awing both the gorse and Lang- 

 mere Furze blank, found a brace of foxes in Chase Hill. 

 Hounds got a bad start with one to East Hal ton village, 

 and they turned at the back of the village down the marsh 

 lane, where they found they had a brace of foxes in front 

 of them, and the pack divided. Both whippers-in went in 

 pursuit of one lot, but they did not get to them till they 

 had reached Brocklesby Park, having run by Chase Hill, 

 Burkinshaw's covert, Houlton's covert, Habrough, Roxton 

 Wood, Waterhills, and Newsham Chase. 



In the mean time. Long, with his eight and a half 

 couples, went on with the hunted fox by Langmere Furze 

 to the beck, thence to Goxhill Bridge, towards Thornton, 



