196 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



'nearly the same line on October (5th, when the Master 

 ' hunted him from Suet Carr to Brow Wood. The best 

 ' runs, taking both together, we have had this season. 

 ' Those who spoke of the good scent forgot that both runs 

 ' being up wind, we could not judge what it really was.' 



It is seldom that two foxes in one day take up wind, 

 and it was doubtless due to this circumstance that there was 

 such exceptional sport. Wilson speaks of the scent as fair, 

 and thinks that the second fox must have got to ground 

 somewhere, a surmise which was probably correct. 



If fortune favoured hounds on this particular day, they 

 had a turn of bad luck a month later, when they had a 

 regular series of untoward circumstances to contend against. 

 Still, with all the bad luck, the sport was good : — 



'Thursday, February 21st. Green Hammerton. Scent good; 

 ' glass high and steady. Wind north, day cold. Divil 

 ' Wood and Thorpe Green coverts all blank. Found a 

 ' brace at the Long Covert at Kirby, and ran one with five 

 ' couple of hounds for two fields, and lost our fox owing 

 ' to hounds making a short turn and no one seeing where 

 ' they threw up. The body of the pack took the other fox 

 ' a cracker up to Green Hammerton, and Wilson was 

 ' unable to stop them until just above Providence Green, 

 ' when meeting with the remainder of the pack, the Master 

 ' took them on to where the fox was last seen. Moonshine 

 ' (1886) having nearly rolled him over before being stopped. 

 ' Got on him nearly in view, and ran into him in the clump 

 ' of trees where Old Hammerton Whin used to be — about 

 ' twenty-five minutes. Found at Cranberry Carr, and ran 

 ' fast up to the river between Hunsingore and Cattal Bridge. 

 ' Forded the river at the place hounds crossed, and ran fast 

 ' up to Cowthorpe and up to near Bickerton Bar. Hounds 

 ' checked slightly there. Got on the line and ran over 

 ' Bilton Park, and on to Nova Scotia. Hounds divided 

 ' here. The hunted fox turned round to Wighill, and with 

 'the remainder of the pack we hunted him through the 

 ' Loft at Wighill. Came to an unfortunate check below 

 ' the Loft, which caused some delay, and though hounds 



