STEPHEN DICKINS. 53 



a grand nursery for foxes, and lias more than once saved 

 the North Stafford from a blank day. 



''April 2nd, 1873. TT'^oore.— Fouml in the Canridden. and ran him to Checkley 

 Wood, through it and on very near to Wybunbury Bog, and lost him througli 

 running a road the first forty minutes without a check. Found a second in 

 Chapel Wood at Doddington. llan him very fast two rings ; to ground in the 

 main earth. A very good day. I was presented with forty pounds." 



The writer was out that day, and his own diary con- 

 tains this entry — 



"Fine day and warm. Went by train to Pipe Gate (for Woore), 9.23, with 

 Colonel F. Buller. Good day. Thirty minutes from Woore in morning, and 

 forty-five minutes from Chapel Wood in afternoon. Rode to Whitmore ; drove 

 from there. Home at 8.30. Mare not home till 11.30." 



The presentation to Dickins apparently made him 

 think all the better of the day's sport. So far as the 

 writer recollects the circumstances, it was felt that some 

 solid recognition should be made of the sport shown by 

 Dickins at the end of his second season, and so a combined 

 effort was made to give him something worthy of accept- 

 ance instead of trusting to casual "tips" from members 

 of the Hunt. It is satisfactory to know that he appre- 

 ciated the gift. Dickins closes the last entry of the season 

 on April 4th with these words : " A very good season in- 

 deed : killed forty foxes, ran to ground twenty-five." 

 The hounds were out altogether for hunting seventy-six 

 days. 



The season 1873-74 provided some fair sport, but on 

 the whole was not so good as the preceding. 



" Novemher 5th, 1873. Dilliorn Hall. — Found a cub and killed in covert. Got 

 away with a second. Ran him into the village and killed him. Found again, an 

 old fox. Ran him to Kingsley Woods, over the Churnet river, railway, and 

 canal, on to Consall Woods ; from there to Ipstones ; to ground in the rocks. 

 A good day's sport. Time one hour and twenty minutes." 



The present writer's diary entry is — 



" First day's hunting. Killed two foxes at Dilhorn. Ran a third from 

 Whympenny Wood via Bank Top, Above Park, Waggon and Horses, Kingsley 

 Banks, Petty Fields, Belmont, Chapel Wood, and White Hough to ground. An 

 hour and twenty minutes. Had a fall through wire, but well carried. Good 

 wild sporting run." 



This run was through a most difficult and unusual line 

 of country, the latter part amongst stone walls and in 



