120 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



isn't a noise now! Jolin Gilpin never made such an excitement as this fox. 

 After running down a street or two, which must have been very trying to his feel- 

 ings, he darts up an entry. Hounds and Dickins soon follow, and after a minute a 

 triumphant ' Who-whoop ! ' proclaims the victory. Well, the good folks of 

 Dresden seem to enjoy it, and to sympathize with us ; and though some of us do 

 wish that so gallant a fox could live to run another day, we feel that our gallant 

 hounds too deserve their well-earned prey, so we smother our feelings and rejoice. 

 Then Dickins and his staunch pack trot off to Cocknage to pick up stragglers, 

 and we trot home. 



" 0. T." 



This is what Dickins says of the day's sport in his 

 diary : 



" Bird-in-Hand. — Found in Draycot Gorse. Ran fast to Sherratt's Wood, 

 and killed. Found a second in the park. Ran a ring and killed him. Drew 

 Birchwood Park blank, and back to Draycot Woods. Found in Bromley Wood. 

 Ran by Stallington and Black Lake to Cocknage, and on to Dresden, and killed 

 in the town." 



The writer was out, and chiefly remembers the day for 

 the remarkable finish to the third run. Dresden is a 

 populous suburb of Longton, and in itself quite a con- 

 siderable town, so that it was rather an unusual experience 

 to find a wild Draycot fox taking refuge in the streets 

 and alleys of such a place, and finally being run into in a 

 cul-de-sac in the shape of a back yard belonging to some 

 worthy inhabitant of the place. The writer, deviating 

 from his usual practice, asked for and got the brush for 

 his son, who was out as a learner and a schoolboy, and who 

 has since taken kindly to the noble science. As "0. T." 

 very correctly says, there was no end of excitement 

 amongst the Dresden people at the unwonted sight of 

 horses, hounds, and redcoats at their very doors, and no 

 doubt there are plenty of residents there who still recollect 

 the day. 



From Dickins's diary : 



"January 11th, 1883. Norton-in- Hales. — Drew the osiers at Betton, and 

 chopped a fox. Found another on Betton Moss. Ran a ring to Adderley, and up 

 to Golling's Rough to gi'ound. Found a third in Highfield Gorse, and ran rings 

 round Adderley, Shavington, Buerton, and Bellaport for three hours, and had to 

 stop hounds." 



From the Staffordshire Advertiser, January 6th, 



1883: 



