52 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



into Burnt Wood, through it up to Cheswarduie, to the left into Bishop's Wood. 

 Ran him there till dark, and whipped off." 



This was Dickins's first regular hunting day with the 

 North Stafford, and is therefore given here, though the 

 sport does not appear to have been above the average. 



"November 13th. Stuhe-hy- Stone. — Had a capital day. Found a fox at 

 Shallowford Gorse, and ran him to Willoughbridge to ground. Fourteen miles 

 from point to point. 



" January 12th. Wrinehill Mill. — Found our first fox in Checkley Wood. 

 Ran him a ring and lost him. The first twenty minutes very fast. Found again 

 at Woore. Ran him to Adderley without a check — time forty minutes — from 

 Adderley to Shavington Park to the left ; a ring back to Betton Moss and 

 Mr. Corbet's Gorse back to Adderley, and whipped off at dusk at Shaw's Rough. 

 A capital day. 



" January 2,1st. Doddington. — Had a capital day. Ran one hour and forty 

 minutes and killed. A lot of Cheshire men out. 



" March 30^A. Whitmore Station. — Found a fox at Whitmore Wood. Ran 

 him thirty-five minutes and killed him ^in the open. Found again in Maer Hills. 

 Ran him to Broughton Park and killed him. Forty-five minutes without a check. 

 A very good day. The last day of the season." 



The record for the season 1871-72 was : Number of 

 days hunting seventy-three ; twenty-seven foxes killed, 

 and eighteen run to ground. 



One of the early entries for 1872-73 is rather quaint, 

 and reads as follows : — 



"November ISth, 1872. Hilderstone Hall. — Found at Draycot Woods and 

 had a hard day. Lost the hounds at night and came home without them. The 

 Captain found them and shut them up at Stone. A regular mess. 



" December 11th. Stoke-by- Stone. — Found in Orange Hayes. Ran two rings 

 and lost him at Hardiwick Heath. Found again in one of the Sandon coverts. 

 Ran him through the Sandon Coverts, over the park, and away as if to Orange 

 Hayes ; within two fields turned to the left, over the railway, canal, and river, 

 up over Yarlet Hill as if for Seighford, turned to the left up to Stafford town, bore 

 to the left past the Asylum, and killed him in the meadows near Ingestre. Time 

 two hours and ten minutes. A very good run. 



" March 2ith, 1873. Swynnerton Old Park. — Found as soon as we put the 

 hounds into covert (I think the finest covert in England), and ran him to 

 Trentham. We had a brace of foxes in the gorse, but could do no good with 

 them. Found a second fox in Hatton Bogs, and ran him by Standon village up 

 to Bromley Coppice, through it on to Ashley Planting, and killed him. Time 

 one hour and thirty minutes." 



Dickins's enthusiasm about Swynnerton Old Park will 

 be noticed in the above record. This extensive covert 

 has always been a fine schoolroom for young hounds, and 



