1894] WILL DALE. 157 



point (eleven as liounds ran) in forty minutes, and that 

 speaks for itself. The bitch pack had met that morning 

 at Kirton Station, and finding at once in Kirton Covert, 

 went away " a cracker " towards Scotter and Scotton, 

 There was never a check from find to finish, and the only 

 view of the chase the huntsman got was the occasional 

 glimpse of a tail hound, and he alone, with Jem Smith the 

 present huntsman, who was then first whipper-in, got to 

 the end of the run. By Scotton Common and through 

 Laughton Wood swept the chase, both Dale and his lieu- 

 tenant plodding on over an exceedingly wild and, to them, 

 unknown country, past Hardwick Warren and Bunker's 

 Hill, nearly to AVildsworth, and so along the marshes by 

 the banks of the Trent. And here at leno;th they came 

 up with the hounds, every one of them, they having killed 

 and eaten their fox before the arrival of the authorities. 

 And up a tree hard by they found a terrified native, who, 

 never having seen such a performance before, had taken 

 refuge there on the approach of the hounds, and had from 

 his elevated position witnessed the demise of bold 

 Beynard. Nor would he descend from his perch till 

 thoroughly convinced that hounds would not tear him in 

 similar fashion. This November was a wonderful scent- 

 ing month, and was crowded with good things, the next 

 best to the great Kirton run being an hour and forty 

 minutes' gallop on November 19th. The lady pack had 

 met at Kingerby, and, after a moderate beginning, found 

 " a gallant fox" at Usselby Fish Pond, and settled down 

 to run in earnest. Going away through the gorse, they 

 swept on over Owersby, Osgodby, and Kirkby, and with 

 Kingerby on the right came round by Sedge Coj) Gorse. 

 Hounds went straight through, and ran a ring round 

 Osgodby and Kirkby, came back past Sedge Cop, and 

 then dashed away over West Basen to the villages of Toft 

 and Newton. With the gorse on the left they went on to 

 Doglands and past Lord Brownlow's house, but near 

 Neville's Gorse Dale had to take advantage of a check to 

 stop the hounds. They had crossed a very heavy and 



