SHALLOWFORD GORSE KUK 121 



THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



On the first day of the new year the meet was at Norton Bridge Station, and 

 after refreshments had been disposed of at Shallowford House the order was for 

 Shallowford Gorse. It was pleasing to see Mr. and j\Irs. Finney, on whose farm 

 the gorse is situated, on the hill as we passed, which shows that they take a 

 lively interest in the sport. When you look at this covert you would wonder 

 why it was called a gorse, there being no gorse whatever, and very little cover 

 of any sort.* The good plan was adopted of keeping the horsemen a field from 

 tlie covert while it was being drawn, which gives a fox every chance to get away. 

 W'e had only to wait a minute or two before that music was heard which gives 

 a throb of joy to the sportsman's heart, for " all their mouths were open, from 

 the old one to the pup," and '• Gone away" was heard a moment after he had 

 broken on the far side of the covert. When we got sight of the hounds they 

 were going breast-high a field ahead, making for Pirehill. A herd of cattle, 

 however, caused a temporary check, but Dickins, with the assistance of the smart 

 whip Boxall, soon got them on his line again, when they settled down in good 

 earnest, going a killing pace towards Yarlet, crossing the Stone and Stafford road 

 just below Yarlet Hall, and on to Euson, where, I suppose, not liking to brave 

 the stream, he made a bend back towards Aston, where they pulled him down in 

 the open after thirty-five minutes, very fast. The Black Planting was then 

 drawn, but proved blank, as also did the osier bed on Mr. William Ball's farm. 

 I wish here to pay a deserving tribute to Mr. Ball, as I hear he reared a litter of 

 cubs on his farm, and expressed himself -willing to suffer inconvenience rather 

 than they should be removed. I was also glad to hear all the farmers in this 

 neighbourhood are good fox-preservers. It is assuring to see farmers take an 

 interest in the sport, as all there seem to do. We then trotted to Yeld's Rough, 

 where another fox was found, and went away towards Chebsey ; he afterwards 

 bent his course to the left for Walton Bank, but was headed by a carter in the 

 Stafford and Eccleshall road, and turned across the railway and river at Worston. 

 In crossing t'le metals it was marvellous the pack was not cut up, as a train 

 passed at full speed. The river here being impassable, we made the best of our 

 way to the ford at Bridgford, where the river, being much swollen by the heavy 

 rains, took the horses half up the saddle-flaps, with a strong current running, 

 making it anything but agreeable. There was no help for it ; but the hounds 

 got so far ahead that we saw nothing of them for two miles, when we met them 

 liriuging their fox back. Having run him near Darlaston, the second whip, 

 wlio had been sent back to bring up two couples of hounds that had divided 

 after another fox in the first run, luckily dropped in with them. After joining 

 tliem, this gallant and brave fox led us to Norton Bridge, and turning round left 

 Shallowford Gorse to the right, crossing the North Staffordshire Railway. Here 

 there was a check, and some secretly hoped he had a chance to give us another 

 gallop in the future, but it was not to be. Dickins got again on his line, and ran 

 liim across Mr. Chatterton's farm to near Swynnerton, where he was killed, after 

 struggling for life nearly two hours. This ended the best day of the season, and 

 will be long remembered by all who were fortunate to be in the run. It was 

 regretted that the noble Master and secretary were absent. 



PiXK. 



* This covert once well deserved its name, as we never saw a more impenetrable 

 gorse tlian was the case some years since. — Ed. <S'..4. 



