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148 HISTORY OF THE BRAMHAM MOOR HUNT. 



a few foxes, however, notwithstanding the stormy morning, 

 and at last, by dint of perseverance, they got hold of one. 

 Scent was bad during the whole of the month, and perhaps 

 their best morning was that at Westwoods, to which I 

 have already alluded as a 'good, cheerful morning.' They 

 had a lot of hard work, and killed a brace handsomely. 

 October was a wild, stormy month, and scent continued to 

 be indifferent, and at times wretched. On the 27th, Smith 

 had an opportunity of exhibiting that patience for which as 

 a huntsman he soon became famous. The fixture was 

 Garforth Bridge, and after killing a brace of cubs, and 

 running one to ground, they had a run with a twisting fox, 

 who manaeed to save his brush. Here is Mr. Fox's account 

 of the run : — 



' Found in the Boot and Shoe plantations ; ran a ring, then 

 ' away hunting slowly past I.edsham, nearly to Buttress 

 ' Hill and Milford Junction ; turned back, got nearer to 

 'him, left Lumley on the right, and ran fast back to the 

 ' woods, and got to ground in an earth. Very good hunting; 

 ' two hours and thirty-five minutes.' 



Of the hunting part of the run, when hounds had 

 really to work hard for the line. Smith writes : ' Hunted it at 

 ' a walking pace, the fox twisting about in all directions, the 

 'bitches hunting it, inch by inch, beautifully.' Of the run 

 and of the fox as well he has something to say. ' Very 

 ' disappointing for hounds, as they richly deserved their fox. 

 ' A most difficult brute to hunt, being headed so many times 

 ' by people getting potatoes and by ploughmen, and managing 

 'not to be seen.' 



Curiously enough, in neither Mr. Fox's nor in Smith's 

 diaries is the first day of the regular season named, though 

 it probably took place on the Monday after the run just 

 recorded, when hounds had a moderate day's sport from 

 Riffa, with a bad scent, but that notwithstanding, they 



