398 The Hunting Countries of England, 



of their opposite neighbours. " There/' they remark 

 in self-depreciating sadness, "it is easy enough to force 

 a fox out of a siugle little wood, and if he should reach 

 another it is only to be pushed out again^ probably in 

 view of the whip who has galloped round. Now^ with 

 ns he never need leave woodland — and very often 

 won^t/^ Another point on which they will descant 

 with fervent and mournful eloquence is the number of 

 old disused coalpits which honeycomb the ground in 

 so many districts. Foxes burrow their way into the 

 old workings ; and it is quite impossible to stop them 

 out. Once in, they may ramble half a mile into the 

 bowels of the earth — and there is always a certain 

 amount of danger of hounds plunging in after them. 

 An old coalmine is a very favourite breeding place — as 

 instanced within a field or two of the Master's 

 residence, where a litter of cubs has been reared in a 

 coal shaft for some years in succession. Of course this 

 profusion of open earths all over the country renders 

 the killing of foxes most difficult ; though the Hunt 

 has little to complain of in the stock usually to be 

 found. Coalmines in full action are also still at work 

 in various directions — notably up the valley of the 

 Derwent, where they are to be met with at least as far 

 as Consett. 



But in spite of all these difficulties and drawbacks a 

 great deal of sport is earned ; and is heartily appre- 

 ciated by men to whom the cry of a hound is music 

 under all circumstances. Colonel Cowen, the present 

 Master, has held the reins of office for eleven years — 

 previous to which his brother Mr. W. Cowen had them 

 for twenty. The origin of the pack dates back at least 



