162 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [1896 



tunately with the chopping of a vixen in Scrubb Close. 

 Then came a trot to Battery Marsh, with the result that 

 hounds were soon speeding away down the marshes in 

 pursuit of a good fox, a hard-riding field in their wake. 

 To Houlton's covert first, and thence by Killingholme and 

 Eye Hill to Newsham, where hounds set some fresh foxes 

 afoot and were stopped. However, Lord Willoughby got 

 on to his hunted fox again, and after an excellent run of 

 an hour and twenty-five minutes ran into him at 

 Habrough. This was followed by a capital fifty-five 

 minutes with an afternoon fox from Zincs, hounds 

 sending him along at a rare bat over Killingholme to 

 Habrough, and there killing him. It was a perfect 

 hunting day and there was a grand scent. 



The season closed, Will Dale's last at Brocklesby, on 

 April 16th, the bitches having been out sixty-eight times, 

 killed thirty -five and a half brace of foxes, and run sixteen 

 brace to ground. There was always a good scent after 

 Christmas, at times very good indeed, and there were many 

 excellent runs, the best generally being in the Bradley, 

 Croxby, or Irby Holme districts. Foxes mostly preferred 

 to run in the vale, and generally ran straight. It was a 

 very open season, the weather at times being as balmy as 

 summer, and hounds were not stopped once from hunting. 



By the way, I came across a curious epitaph in Dale's 

 diary, and I think a very appropriate one for a good 

 fox-hunter. It is as follows : — 



" Reader, tread lightly o'er the sod, 

 A man of nerve lies here. 

 Whose spirit bow'd before his God, 

 But knew no other fear." 



Dale's record at Brocklesby is appended, and I think it 

 speaks for itself. Far and wide throughout the kingdom 

 one finds the evidences of the good work done by Brocklesby 

 stud hounds, and as it was in days gone by, so has it been 

 in recent years, and for this much of the credit belongs to 

 Will Dale. Mr. E. P. Rawnsley, the Master of the South 



