138 THE NOilTPI STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Staftbrdshire Railway ami up the hill past Onneloy nearly to Finson's Hay. 

 Here, bending to the left, the chase went straight on over the pick of the 

 Woore country, passing by Mill Hay Wood on the left and Harrow's Wood and 

 Three Brooks on the right, and across the Woore and Audlem road to Buerton 

 Gorse. By this time horses were beginning to show evident signs of having 

 had enougli, and a few minutes' breathing-time while the hounds were working 

 out the line through the Buerton Covert were most acceptable. Reynard also 

 showed signs of being beat, for after having gone on from Buerton as if for 

 Corbett's Gorse, he turned short to the left to College Drunible, and then short 

 back again to Buerton, where he got to ground in wliat appears to be an old 

 earth in a field adjoining the gorse. Time, one hour and ten minutes ; distance 

 gone over, eleven or twelve miles. 



Last Monday saw these hounds at Doddington. Twelve degrees of frost the 

 previous night had made the ground very hard, and though an extra half -hour had 

 been allowed to give the sun more time to dissipate the effects, the gi'ound was quite 

 hard in places till the afternoon. Chapel Wood was drawn first, and, as usual, was 

 found to hold one if not more foxes. One at length broke away in the direction of 

 the Hall, but the scent was very bad, and it was only by dint of great perseverance 

 that Dickins was able to work out a very ringing dodging line through Shaw's 

 Rough and Blakenhall Moss and back by Doddington Mill to the Chapel Wood, 

 and thence back towards Walgherton. Near the Boar's Head we learned that 

 our fox had been seen making for the Clift'e at Wybunbury, and sure enough he 

 jumped up in front of the hounds out of a hedgerow just before reaching the 

 Cliffe. The hounds raced him through the Cliffe and on to Lea Forge, where 

 they ran him into a cartshed, and received the reward of a most persevering- 

 hunt. In the afternoon a move to Finson's Hay Gorse residted in a fox breaking 

 away towards Woore, and with the aid of two or three friendly " holloas " a poor 

 scent was worked out through the Mill Hay and Harrow's Wood and back round 

 the Admiral's Gorse, and through Mill Hay again to the well-known Canridden. 

 Up to this the scent had been very poor, but it now greatly improved. Either 

 our run fox, or possibly a fresh one, was viewed away from Canridden, and took 

 us fast and straight by the Three Brooks and Buerton Windmill to Woolfall. 

 Here we came to slow hunting again, and after crossing the Hankelow Brook we 

 found ourselves close to Audlem, where the hounds came to a check at a road. 

 A " holloa " back now brought us in the direction of Buerton, but on ascertain- 

 ing from some men that the fox then in front of us had been gone some time, 

 and was undoubtedly a fresh one, the hounds were stopped at five o'clock. Time 

 from putting them into Finson's Hay Gorse till tliey were stopped, two hours. 

 I was sorry to observe on all three days wire in a good many fences. This has 

 become a serious danger in this, as in manjr other, Hunts. The districts of 

 Brocton, Slindon, and Cotes are covered with wire, and it has invaded the 

 hitherto happy hunting-ground of the Woore country. On Saturday the Master 

 of the North Stafford got pounded by wire near Onneley, and on Monday the 

 Master of the South Cheshire narrowly escaped a bad accident jumping a fence 

 near Audlem. This particular fence was an example of the very worst and 

 most " trappy " description. A thick fence on a high bank with a wire twined 

 among the quick and briars in such a way that even after Mr. Corbet's horse and 

 another that followed him had evidently caught in some unlooked-for obstruction, 

 it was only with difficulty that the treacherous wire could be detected. Would 

 that landowners and others would become more alive to the necessity of exerting 

 their influence, each one as far as he possiblj'^ can, to check the use of mre. It 

 is becoming a vital question affecting the very existence of hunting. As far as 



