THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 



75 



They were a good deal bothered with frost in the latter 

 end of January, and all through February ; but Mr. Fox 

 was keen to steal a day whenever there was an opportunity, 

 and they had some capital runs when there was no chance 

 of making a start till noon. March came in well ; and taken 

 on the whole, the month was a good one, the following, 

 perhaps, being the best day's sport in it : — 



' March 3rd. East Keswick. Found in Wike Clumps ; ran a 

 'smart burst towards Keswick, back to 11 are wood, across 

 ' the park, back to the right through HoUin Hall Whin, 

 ' down to Cardwick. Found in the willow bed ; went away 

 ' to Cardwick, up to the right, skirted Hollin Hall Whin 

 ' into Harewood Park, running fast to the Grey Stone, out 

 ' at the end of the woods pointing for Eccup ; turned to 

 ' the right for Arthington, up the hill again pointing for 

 ' Cookridge, kept to the right, leaving Bramhope on the 

 ' right, and caught him just before he reached the wall of 

 ' the Chevin Park. One hour and fifteen minutes. A 

 ' capital run ; horses all beat.' 



Another day in March is worth recording, though there 

 is nothing very grand about the sport. 



'March 26th. Harewood Bridge. Tried Riffa, Almscliflf Whin, 

 ' Rigton j\Ioor, Thurtle's Whin, Walton Head : blank. 

 'Found in Spacey House Whin, a fox with his forelegs 

 ' injured, having been in a trap. Found in Herbert's 

 ' larches, ran to Spacey House Whin ; killed : a wretched 

 'fox without a single tooth. Found in the Cocked Hat 

 ' Whin and killed a fox : skin and bones, no teeth, hair 

 ' falling off him. The hounds refused to eat him. Some- 

 ' thing curious : evident that the foxes were not right.' 



The foxes to which Mr. Fox alludes were evidently 

 suffering from mange ; and the really curious part of the 

 thing is that it seems, so far as I can gather, to have been 

 an isolated case. The season, which ended on April 19th 



