1890] WILL DALE. 149 



and fourteen foxes killed in one hundred and twelve days 

 was Dale's record for this season. 



Cub-hunting began very much earlier in 1899 than in 

 the previous year — on August 25th, in fact — and a won- 

 derful educational period it proved to be. There was 

 nearly always a good scent, and the fact that seventy-two 

 foxes were killed in forty-two days shows that the young- 

 entry w^ere well blooded, and that the cub-hunting was a 

 fitting prelude to the excellent season's sport that followed. 

 On October 25th, only four days after the initial lesson, 

 the youngsters accounted for no fewer than four brace of 

 foxes in the marshes ; for, thanks to a red-hot scent, they 

 killed three foxes in and around Battery Marsh, while the 

 snug, secluded little covert of Reeds Mere gave up five 

 more. 



The year 1890 began badly for Dale, for on six con- 

 secutive days he had to work without a whipper-in, both 

 being laid up with influenza. The first red-letter day 

 came on January 29th from a meet at Kavendale Cross- 

 roads, when, in response to a quick find in the plantations, 

 hounds dashed away over the Barton street and sped 

 down the slope to Ashby. Turning to the right, they 

 came back to Ashby Cottagers' Plats and crossed the road 

 to run to Hawerby Park, pressing on thence by Stock 

 Furlong, through Beesby Wood to Cadeby and Wyham. 

 With this latter place on the right they ran on, past Lud- 

 borough and Utterljy, crossed the railway at Little 

 Grimsby, and went on past Alvingham and Covenham to 

 Yarborough, where hounds pulled their fox down in the 

 open, after a really grand run of an hour and five minutes, 

 all over a splendid country. They found again below 

 Sharp's, and went away to Holton-le-Clay, turning back 

 over the railway to run a big ring by Tetney Cross-roads 

 and Dowse's back to Sharp's Park. Here they ran their 

 fox in view for nearly ten minutes, till he sought shelter 

 in a rabbit-hole, from which he was ignominiously 

 scratched out. 



Hounds had a hard day on March 14th, running 



