HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



' melancholy reflection of thinking that I was his last 

 ' cupbearer. After a few minutes of the usual greetings 

 ' by the assemblage — a very numerous one, containing 

 ' representatives from the leading families of the county — 

 ' we started to draw a small covert close to the house. 

 ' I may be allowed to say that of the field a very large 

 ' proportion were, without the least exaggeration, the 

 'finest and bravest horsemen in Yorkshire. I mention a 

 'few: — Mr. J. Brown, Mr. Shiffner, Sir Geo. Wombwell, 

 ' Major Stapylton, Lord Downe, Lord Lascelles, two of the 

 ' Molyneuxes, two of the Vyners, with a goodly number 

 ' of the fairer portion of creation. 



' Finding this home covert blank, we went to Cayton 

 ' Gill, a short mile from hence, west. Found and chopped, 

 'on which I said to Sir Charles, "Foxes are not over 

 'plentiful here; how does it happen?" To which he 

 ' remarked, " The fox was fast asleep; I had to crack my 

 ' whip over him twice before he would move." 



' From there we came down eastward, and on crossing 

 ' the bridge over the North-Eastern Railway here. Sir 

 ' Charles changed horses, from the ill-fated Saltfish to 

 ' a new roan one, had from Darby of Rugby — I believe 

 ' his first mount. 



' During this short interval, and while on the bridge, 

 ' Sir Charles, Mr. Brown, and myself had a conversation 

 ' as to what covert should be drawn next. Farnham 

 'Myers was named, but Mr. Brown thought Burton Whin 

 ' would be nearest, and that we possibly might find. I 

 ' supported it, saying that going round that way would 

 ' not cause a delay of ten minutes. 



' We decided to go, drew it blank, and, expecting 

 ' Walkingham Warren or Farnham Myers would be our 

 ' destination, were surprised to find that Greenwood's 

 ' Whin, near Bishop Monkton, had been fixed upon, con- 

 ' trary to the consultation before alluded to. 



' Greenwood's Whin lies about a mile north-east of 

 ' Burton Whin. Almost before the hounds had entered 

 ' the covert, the fox went away, bearing- for Bishop 

 ' Monkton. Being advantageously placed, he came near 

 ' me, crossing a lane, and, doing my best to keep the 

 ' people back, I got some five or six couple of the hounds 



