148 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



and Boxall, eacli with a lot of hounds, effected a meeting near Cliffonrs Wood. 

 There we heard of a fox that had been seen a few minutes before by some foot 

 people, but it was too long gone, and the hounds could only work out the line very 

 slowly towards Cotes Gorse, After drawing that and Hatton Bogs blank, we 

 went back to the Old Park to look for one of the many foxes we had found there, 

 but did not get one on foot till we got to Hanchurch Hills. Here hounds got on 

 two lines again ! Ean one a ring round in the Old Park, and thence away by 

 Hanchurch and Butterton, and to ground in a drain beyond Clayton. Bolted him 

 with a terrier, but after a verj' fast ring he got back into the very same drain 

 again. Tried to make him bolt again, but he would not, and finally the terrier 

 killed him in the part of the drain that was under the road, and so we could not 

 get at him. 



" April 9th. BlackhrooJc. — Found two or three foxes on the hills, but could 

 not do much with them. After some woodland hunting, went to Radwood 

 Coppice. Found a fox in one of them that took us by Aston nearly to Pipe Gate ; 

 then across the railway and by Onneley nearly to Finson's Hay, where he turned 

 to the right and went through Wrinehill Wood and out to the Beech Wood, 

 where the hounds caught him. A first-rate hunting run of one hour and ten 

 minutes. Went back to Whitmore Common. Found a brace. Ran one to ground 

 at once, and went away after the other, which was lost on the common after a 

 ring round by Whitmore Wood. No scent on the common. 



" April 12th, 1887. Swynrierton Old Park. — Found a lot of foxes. Ran first 

 one and then another, but hardly any scent ; hounds, however, managed to catch 

 one in the wood. When it got a bit cooler, went on to Whitmore, but drew the 

 common, the wood, Hayes Sprink and Drumble at Whitmore Hall blank. Last 

 day of the season." 



The record for tlie season of 1886-87 was sixty-three 

 foxes killed, forty-two run to ground. Eighty-eight days' 

 hunting altogether. The sport was interrupted by frost 

 for some weeks in January and the early part of February. 

 The subscriptions for this season amounted to £2319 155., 

 including subscriptions to the covert fund, and this sum 

 was contributed by a hundred and thirty-eight subscribers. 

 The amount appropriated for the covert fund and poultry 

 damage was £400. 



In the spring of 1887, " G. S. L.," the well-known 

 writer on horses and hounds, paid a visit to the stables 

 at Trentham, which resulted in an article in the Field of 

 April 9th of that year, from which we will venture to 

 quote some remarks of interest with reference to the North 

 Staffordshire Hunt, and the manner in which the Hunt 

 servants were mounted. " (J-. S. L." says — 



" On leaving the kennels I walked over to the Hunt stables, and Mr. Norman, 

 .the stud groom, very obligingly showed me the stud. A very useful lot of horses 



