COLONEL FAIRFAX'S MASTERSHIP. 151 



five times from frost in December, and once in January 

 and Marcli from the same cause. They killed forty-three 

 brace of foxes and ran seventeen-and-a-half brace to ground ; 

 a very good record. 



1874-75. — The next season was a much shorter one, for 

 frost interfered considerably with sport. Still it must be looked 

 upon as a very good one, as some excellent runs took 

 place, one at least deserving a prominent place in history, 

 whilst hounds still continued to account well for their foxes. 

 They commenced the cub-hunting season on September 

 3rd, at Overton Wood. The morning was not a very 

 favourable one, bright sunshine and storm alternating. In 

 Overton Wood they coulci do nothing, though they found a 

 small litter, so they went on to Court House Wood where 

 they found another small litter, and after a good deal of 

 work they killed one. It was the bitch pack that was out 

 on this day, but the dogs were not so lucky at their first 

 attempt, which was on Saturday, the 5th, at Escrick. 

 They fell in for a bad scenting day, but we read that 

 "they would have got blood had not Truman holloaed a 

 fox away just as we were on our beaten cub." The dogs, 

 however, were soon to have their turn, and on the 

 following Saturday they had a remarkably good day for the 

 time of year, as the following account shows : — 



' Saturday, September 13th. Stub Wood. Good show of foxes. 

 'Fair scent, ran hard for forty minutes, then lost him. 

 'Went to Willey's Brockett ; found; lost him. Went back 

 'to Stub Wood, found and rattled him to the earth at 

 ' Acaster ,and back, and killed. Went to Middlethorpe 

 ' Wood, found a good litter, rattled them about the 

 ' Archbi.shop's garden, and killed in a mangold field. 

 ' Dogs worked well.' 



Two more days in the month of September, and three 

 in October, stand out as good days in an exceptionally good 

 cub-hunting season. 



