122 The Hunting Countries of England. 



pursuing an almost equally unbending course — upwards 

 through Lord Zetland^s, and downwards through the 

 York-and- Ainsty ; and a drive along it will lay before 

 you the bulk of the two former countries. The 

 Kennels are built beside it, about midway between 

 Bedale and Scruton (the residence of the Master) — on 

 a high point overlooking the vale to the east and the 

 hills to the west. For, all to the east of Leeming 

 Lane is lowland (heavy to the north_, lighter to the 

 south) ; and another narrow valley bears the railway, 

 from Northallerton, between two ranges of hills to 

 Leyburn — which is the farthest point whither hunting 

 operations are purposely carried. The western line of 

 demarcation_, indeed, runs considerably inside the- 

 area coloured on Stanford's Map ; and, approximately 

 speaking, may be drawn from Leyburn, by Middle- 

 ham, to Masham, and from Masham to Skeldin and 

 Eavestone. A fox might, no doubt, be run still 

 farther westward ; but it would be difficult to find 

 him, and occasionally hazardous to pursue where crags 

 crop up and wooded precipices unexpectedly drop. 

 The grass looks tempting, and the stonewalls seem 

 built to jump ; but, the farther west we get, the more 

 rugged becomes the hillsides and the more broken the 

 beds of the stream, till the scene becomes more akin 

 to the home of the chamois than of the fox. The 

 stonewalls grow higher, stronger, and more frequent, 

 as you rise from the low country and get more fully 

 among the sheep walks. Built of loose round stones, 

 they are pleasant enough jumping as long as their 

 dimensions keep within bounds. On the upper 

 ground, again, there is always a scent — whether on 



