THE RULE OF Mr. GEORGE LANE FOX. 185 



on Monday, November 3rd, after what Mr. Fox describes 

 as the driest season ever remembered. The ground was as 

 hard as iron, and a water-famine seemed imminent. They 

 had not a great day's sport, but they killed a leash of toxes. 



The dry weather continued all through November, and, 

 of course, had a prejudicial effect on scent, but they had one 

 or two good days for all that : — 



'November 12th. Beckwithshaw Bar. Found several foxes; 

 ' ran to ground. Found on Rigton Moor ; away very fast 

 'for Moor Park, to the right along Beckwithshaw bottoms 

 'to Pannal, to the left to New Harrogate, past the cricket 

 'ground, and killed before he reached Harlow Carr. Forty- 

 ' one minutes; no check; a very excellent run; few saw it.' 



This was a good run indeed, grass all the way, and there 

 is little wonder that the company grew very select long 

 before the end came. So hard and dry was the ground that, 

 when a sharp frost came on the 29th, it really made little 

 difference, and hounds were able to hunt at Stutton Mill, 

 where they had a hunting-run ending with a kill. 



On the first of December snow came, and though it was 

 only for a short period, it had its effect on scent, which was 

 very bad for a few days. 



'December 19th. Walton. Found in Marston Whin; ran, 

 ' leaving Wilstrop on the left, towards Marston station, 

 ' swinging for Skip Bridge, then to the right to ]\Ioor 

 ' Monkton, where the fox crossed the river, and hounds 

 'were stopped. Tried Wilstrop and Cowthorpe, blank. 

 'Found in Champagne Gorse ; hunted to Bickerton, Nova 

 ' Scotia. A fresh fox jumped up, and ran to Duce Wood. 

 'Dark. Smith's horse slipped up, and he has hurt his 

 ' shoulder.' 



Smith got his fall as he was going through a gateway, 

 and he was unable to hunt hounds again till the 29th. 

 Nothing much took place during the few days that hounds 



