THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 157 



couples and a half went down the hill, and it was this lot 

 that had the run. They had crossed the river somewhere 

 near the bridge, and ran on, leaving East Keswick to the 

 left, and Vickers' field to the right, and between School 

 House Whin and Wike Whin, and over the hill nearly to 

 Scarcroft, whence they bore to the left towards Shadwell 

 Moor. No one was with them, and that was the last that 

 was heard of them. Both the whippers-in's horses were 

 beaten to a standstill, and Mr. George Lowther, like the 

 good sportsman he was, helped Smith with the hounds he 

 had with him up to the edge of Blackmoor, where they got 

 together, the other hounds coming up a couple or two at 

 a time, and finally they were all got together again. 

 Mr. Tennant then helped Smith with them as far as his 

 house, and sent a man on to help him home. 



They hunted a day or two when snow was on the ground ; 

 and on one of these days, February 21st, they had some 

 good sport. Meeting at Tockwith, they found in Wilstrop 

 Wood, and after a ring, they ran away briskly by Marston 

 Whin and Bilton Spring, nearly to Bickerton Spring, and 

 killed. They found a ringing fox in Shire Oaks, and ran 

 him by Catterton, Duce Wood, Nova Scotia, Wighill, 

 Walton Ings, and down to the river bank, whence they 

 hunted back to Shire Oaks, and then on to Healaugh, 

 where scent failed altogether. It was only a moderate 

 scenting day, but there was some good hunting. On March 

 3rd they met at Stutton Mill : there was a wretched scent, 

 but hounds literally walked a brace of foxes to death, 

 making, as Smith observes, ' a good finish for hounds after 

 ' so much hunting.' Here is a good old-fashioned run which 

 took place late in the month : — 



' j\Iarch 28th. Tadcaster Bar. Found in Shire Oaks; hunted 

 ' a ring, and lost. Found in Duce Wood ; hunted past 

 'Hell Hole and Bilbrough on to Askham, between the 



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