178 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. [1900 



for Thornton, and the pack swung right-handed over 

 the road and the railway as if bound for Zincs. But the 

 fox did not cross the brook, and I never saw prettier 

 hunting than when hounds took the line, now by the 

 brook side and now by the hedge, to the bridge near 

 Thornton, the fox being unable to make up his mind 

 whether to plunge into the cold water or not. We still 

 looked like going to Thornton Gorse, but a swing to 

 the right took us away to East Halton village, through 

 which hounds hunted slowly and prettily. A kill looked 

 a certainty ; but hounds came to a full stop at the brick- 

 yard at the Humber bank, and try as our good amateur 

 huntsman could, he failed to make any more of his fox, so 

 concluded he had found a safe haven among the bricks 

 and tiles. 



It appears that our dead-beat fox was shot by a man 

 working in the brickyard (we did hear a shot when about 

 half a mile from the Humber bank) ; but it is gratifying 

 to know that when he came boasting of his exploit to his 

 master the next day, he received his dismissal instantly. 



Mr. Richardson's last day was marked by an evening 

 gallop from Peeks to Tetney, but hounds were stopped at 

 the first check, it being too dark to go on. 



January 27th, 1900, gave us a very good day's 

 sport from Waltham Station. It began with a fine run 

 from Peeks to Tetney, the fox first making his point 

 Waltham Station ; but being headed, he went straight for 

 the sea, Humberston village being on the right, and 

 then swung round to run parallel with the shore to 

 Tetney. He tried a drain, but found it too full of water 

 for comfortable shelter, so twisted about in the neighbour- 

 hood of Tetney village for some time ; faulty information 

 then put the huntsman wrong, and an old jack hare, who 

 would persist in dancing in front of hounds, did the rest. 

 I heard afterwards that the fox did get back to the drain 

 before mentioned, and that he was found washed out, 

 dead, the next morning. It was a very fast good gallop, 

 and over a fine line of country. One item was the way 



