THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 151 



On the 1 6th they met at Wike, when there was a very bad 

 scent, and as the day seems rather typical of many which 

 took place during the season, I cannot do better than give 

 Smith's account of it : — 



' Met at Wike with eighteen and a half couples of hounds. 

 'Went to Eccup Whin, drew it and Alwoodley Crag, 

 'blank. P'ound a fox at Scotland Wood, but the scent so 

 'bad could do nothing with him. Found again at Wigton 

 'Moor; and went away pointing for Harewood, but bore 

 'to the right for Wike Whin, but it was such a wretched 

 'scent that hounds could not hunt it. Got up to a fox at 

 'Wike Whin; and went away across to Blackmoor, and 

 'after running round there, went away, leaving Kidhurst 

 'to the right, and up to Bardsey station; here he turned 

 ■'to the left through School House Whin, and within two 

 'fields of Vickers' field turned short back to the right by 

 'Bardsey village, and over the Leeds road up to the railway, 

 ' and killed him just before reaching Kidhurst, which made 

 ' a good finish to a bad day.' 



On the 28th thev had a o-ood hunting- run. The meet 

 was Beckwithshaw Bar, and as there was snow on the high 

 ground, they went to Rougemont Carr for their second fox. 

 Him they ran over a nice country for an hour and thirty-five 

 minutes, pulling him down at Ruckling Park wall. Then 

 came a day or two of frost, and hounds were kept in kennel 

 till February 2nd, when it had thawed sufficiently to get 

 them out, and they killed a brace of fo.xes. It was not long 

 before frost interfered with sport again, but before it did 

 came the best day's sport of the season, of which the 

 following is Mr. Fox's account : — 



' February 8th. Deighton Bar. Found in Ingmanthorpe Whin. 

 ' Hunted about the coverts there, away past Champagne 

 ' Gorse, left Walton on the right. Thorp Arch station on 

 ' the right, on to Walton Ings, and ran to ground on the 

 ' river-side below Esedike. Fortv minutes. Found in Cow- 



