60 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



An amusing incident occurred on January 22nd, 1876. 

 There was a good deal of frost and some snow on the 

 ground, and the fixture being at Moddershall, a rather 

 hilly and bleak district, the Master did not decide to go 

 to the meet until an hour after the advertised time. In 

 crossing the Big Ley at Trentham, near the present golf- 

 links, a fox suddenly jumped up in front of hounds, when 

 the pack broke away, and hunted their fox on towards 

 Swynnerton and Beech Cliffe, where they killed him. On 

 returning to the kennels, some few members of the Hunt 

 were found, who had gone as a forlorn hope to Moddershall, 

 scarcely expecting to see hounds on such a hard morning. 

 No one saw the fun except the Master and the Hunt 

 servants; the only sportsman who was with them was on 

 a horse fresh and short of work, and was " bucked " off 

 as soon as hounds started to run. In spite of the sharp 

 gallop and kill, all the sportsmen agreed that it was not 

 fit to go on hunting, so nothing more was done. 



" February ISth, 1876. Adderhy. — Found in the dry pool, and killed him in 

 the covert. Found a second in Dog-kennel Wood. Ran him fifteen minutes, and 

 killed. Found a third in the Belt, ran him out for Shavington into a stable ; 

 brought him out, gave him a start, and ran into him in half a mile. Found a 

 fourth at Buerton Gorse. Ran him fast to the Canridden, through that and Harrow's 

 Wood and very nearly to Doddington, back to the right up to Mill Hay and 

 through, and killed him one field from the covert. A good day." 



This was a red-letter day for Dickins — four foxes 

 killed, and a good gallop with the last — a day after his 

 own heart. His sympathy with hounds was so keen that 

 the best of gallops never quite satisfied him without a kill. 

 Those who knew Dickins well can easily fancy how he 

 would enjoy a day like this, and how jovially he would 

 jog home to Trentham after the day's work. 



" March Sth, 1876. Caverswall Village. — Found in Caverswall Common, 

 and ran him to Dilhorn and Kingsley Woods, past Froghall and Ipstones, on to 

 Windy Arbour, and lost him in a storm at Cauldon Lowe Stone quarries. A 

 good run." 



The writer's diary entry of this run is as follows : — 



" Found clinking fox at Caverswall Common, and ran him for nearly three 

 hours to Cauldon Lowe via. Shawe Woods and Kingsley Banks. Well carried 



