«4 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



member of the Hunt, Dickins related a story of old Joe the 

 runner. His wife called at the kennels one summer in 

 great distress, and informed him of the death of the old 

 man, and asked for help and a sheet to bury him in ; this 

 was supplied, and no more was heard about it till one 

 morning in the autumn, Dickins arriving at the covert 

 side with his hounds for cub-hunting, the first person 

 to receive him was his friend Joe, sitting on a gate, very 

 much alive indeed. 



