THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 



165 



Hill down to the river, where he gfot to oround again, and 

 they were obliged to leave him. ' A great disappointment for 

 'hounds,' writes Smith, 'as they were racing for their fox.' 



The season was on the whole a disappointing one, as 

 hounds were prevented hunting twenty-five times by the 

 weather, but when they were able to get out they had a good 

 average of sport, killing their fo.xes well. Scent could scarcely 

 be said to have been good, but there was an abundance of 

 holding scents, and after all it is these that go to the making 

 up of a good season. They hunted ninety-five days, killed 

 sixty-three brace, and ran twenty-two and a half brace to 

 ground. 



1880-81. The season commenced in .September in a 

 somewhat disappointing manner, for on the Friday before 

 Doncaster they went to Hazlewood and did not come across 

 any cubs, though they came across some old foxes, and 

 after a lot of work had to go home without blood. Next 

 day they had better luck at Westwoods, and after a hard and 

 good morning's work, they killed a brace. They had a good 

 day on October ist, at Woodall Bridge, killing two brace of 

 foxes, with the last of which they had a merry gallop from 

 Stockeld Park, running into him in the open at Deighton Bar. 

 On the average, sport was good throughout the whole of the 

 cub-hunting season, but on the .':7th they were driven home 

 by heavy snow. I give what was perhaps their best day 

 prior to the opening of the regular season, — certainly it was 

 the hardest : — 



'October 22nd. Wilstrop. Found in the wood, ran to the 

 ' river and back, and killed in the Rash. Found in Hutton 

 ' Thorns, hunted past Hutton Hall, "Walton's farm, Angram 

 ' Bottoms, came up to a fox near Duce Wood, ran through 

 ' Shire Oaks, past the old Manor House, turned to the right 

 ' back to Shire Oaks, through again, away to Nova Scotia, 

 ' Bilton village, the wood, the Loft. Got up to a fresh fox, 

 ' and ran him hard by Nova Scotia, Hutton Hall, nearly to 

 V 



