178 HISTORY OF THE BRAMHAM MOOR HUNT 



and they could not hunt till noon ; and when they did hunt 

 it was to find scent of the worst, and they did not do much 

 good. The frost did not last this time, and no stoppage 

 took place. On the 22nd they had a fair day, finding their 

 fox in the Punch Bowl, and killing him near Herbert's 

 larches, after a lot of running ; and on the 29th they had a 

 good run of an hour and twenty minutes by Beckwithshaw, 

 North Rigton and the Punch Bowl, down to the river, 

 killing their fox below Woodhall Bridge. 



December was a month of disappointments and worries 

 for the hunting man. Frost set in on the first, and though 

 it only lasted two days it returned on the evening of the 

 fifth, and deep snow prevented any hunting" till the 20th. 

 Then they were able to hunt till Christmas-day, but nothing 

 of any note took place. On the 26th there was another tall 

 of snow, but it was not so heavy as to prevent hunting ; and 

 on the 27th and two days later they had famous sport: — ■ 



' December 29th. Bickerton Bar. Found in Marston Whin. 

 ' Away for Bilton, headed for Tockwith, back towards the 

 ' whin, then turned down the hill and ran straight for Red 

 ' House Wood, catching him by the little planting a field 

 ' short of the wood. Fifty minutes. A good run, hounds 

 ' beating horses. Found in Wilstrop. Away, leaving 

 ' Marston station to the left, over the York road, and 

 ' pointing for Red House ; turned back, was headed at the 

 'York road, and ran hard to the river. The fox crossed 

 ' above Poppleton, and we had to stop hounds. Fifty-five 

 ' minutes. A first-rate day.' 



The river was very full owing to the breaking up of the 

 snow, or probably hounds would not have been stopped as 

 they were close at their fox, and in another field they must 

 have come up to him. They had some long hard days 

 during the early ones of the New Year and up to the 27th, 

 when snow again interfered a little with hounds. . 



