THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. i j ^^ 



A tlay in December must be given, as it was perhaps the 

 best they had before Christmas : — 



'December i6th. Wighill village. Sharp frost, hard on the 

 ' roads. Found in Shireoaks, ran a rinaf, hunted to Tadcaster 

 ' town end, into Brooksbank's park, and lost by the river. 

 ' Found in Catterton Wood, went away to Oxton village, 

 ' Tadcaster, and lost, pointing for Wighill. Found at 3-5 

 'in Duce Wood, away through Healaugh village, pointed 

 'for Hutton, turned to Nova Scotia, back through Catterton 

 ' Spring, left Oxton on the riglit, turned at the river, and 

 ' stopped hounds at dark between Catterton and Shireoaks, 

 ' having unluckily changed our fox by the river-side. 

 ' The pace for an hour and ten minutes, first-rate ; horses 

 'all tired.' 



Soon after this frost set in, and hunting men experienced 

 one of those old-fashioned winters which those who have not 

 a large stud of horses ' eating their heads off' profess to 

 enjoy. It was a change to the exceptionally open winters 

 immediately preceding it, and it was not at all appreciated 

 by hunting men. From December 20th till January 7th, 

 hunting men were frozen out, then they stole a day ; after- 

 wards came other ten days' frost, to be followed by three 

 days' hunting, and another fortnight's frost. About the 

 middle of February the weather grew more settled, and 

 then they had some grand sport. 



'February 13th. Stockeld Park. Found in the wood, lost 

 ' near Wetherby. Found in Devonshire Whin, ran into 

 ' Woodhall, through the covert, crossed the river above the 

 ' bridge, skirted Keswick Ox Close, hunted over Rigton 

 ' Hill to Westwoods, ran in covert for some time, turned 

 ' to the left, and killed in Gunter's park. Two hours, 

 ' ten minutes.' 



'February 25th. Plompton. Found in Birkham Wood, ran 

 ' down to the river, and killed. Found in Braham Wood, 

 ' away towards Plompton, back to the right to Ribston 



