1885] WILL DALE. 141 



Irby Dales, and Dale waxed enthusiastic on the stoutness 

 and dash with which they led the field over a grand line 

 of country. Setting oft' over Aylesby lordship, they went 

 across Healing and Stallingborough, ran round the fast- 

 nesses of Roxton Wood, and returned by way of Habrough 

 and Immingham to Zincs. Pressino- on to Thornton and 

 East Holton, they unfortunately changed from their dead- 

 beat fox, and the fresh one was run to ground in a drain 

 at Killinoholme after an excursion to Chase Hill. It is a 

 five-mile point from Irby Dales to Stallingborough, and 

 eight miles as the crow files from there to Thornton ; and 

 this grand, though twisting run, which was at a good 

 hunting pace throughout, occupied two hours and twenty- 

 five minutes. There were lots of good things this Febru- 

 ary, for on the 19th of that month there was a fine marsh 

 run of two hours and thirty-five minutes from Houlton's 

 covert, with a kill between Immingham and the Humber 

 to wind up with ; and on the 25th there were two ex- 

 ceptionally good runs. The first was a fast fifty-five 

 minutes from Drake's Gorse down the marshes, where 

 hounds ran from scent to view, and rolled their fox over 

 handsomely ; while the second, of an hour and forty-five 

 minutes' duration, emanated from that good blackthorn 

 covert, Peeks. The first part was a ring over Scartho, 

 Waltham, Humberston, and Cleethorpe, back to Peeks ; 

 but the fox w^ent straight through, and hounds, gradually 

 increasing their pace, drove him hard over Weelsby and 

 through the Grimsby Park and Tennyson's Holt to Brad- 

 ley Wood. Still pressing on, they sent him to Laceby, 

 and then brought him back to Bradley Wood, coming up 

 hand over hand and actually running him in view, when 

 he popped into a tunnel in Mr. Harrison's yard. How- 

 ever, a speedy eviction took place, and every one of the 

 little ladies shared in the worry. The whole of it took 

 place in a fine hunting country, the pace, at times very 

 fast, was good throughout, and the bitch pack ran with no 

 end of dash. 



On March 6th Dale took a bad toss, and hurt his right 



