WOORE COUNTRY. 179 



^^ January 26<7i, 1891. Woore. — The first day out after the long frost. 

 Found in Mill Hay. Ran fast to College Field, to ground. Found another in 

 Canridden. Ran into one, and killed; got on another, but did no good — too 

 long gone. Found another at Bellaport. Ran a ring, to ground in a drain ; 

 bolted him, and ran him to ground again, so left him. Found another at 

 Buerton Gorse. Ran a ring, and lost. Found another at Adderley Gorse, but 

 did little good with him. Found another at College Fields. Ran very fast for 

 forty minutes, and lost him.' ' 



Evidently there was almost an unlimited supply of 

 foxes ; but either they were not of the right sort, or scent 

 was wanting, or perhaps a little of both, for, though they 

 had seven foxes altogether during the day in front of 

 hounds, only one of them seems to have afforded anything 

 like a decent gallop. 



On Monday, February 2nd, and again on Wednesday, 

 February 4th, 1891, there were several good sporting 

 gallops, of which "Double Snaffle" has fortunately fur- 

 nished a spirited record in the Field of February 7th, as 

 below : — 



NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



On Monday, February 2nd, this pack met at Norton-in-Hales, where a large 

 field turned out. Our first fox was found in Brown Hills, but did not provide 

 much sport, having evidently been headed several times in attempting to get 

 away. He at last broke on the Market Drayton side, and was hunted slowly to 

 the Tunstall Hall Coverts, where we lost him. 



In Golling's Rough another fox was soon on foot. He quickly went away 

 on the Highfields side of the covert, and, leaving Highfields House on the left, 

 turned sharp to the right as if for Bellaport, aud ran nearly to Norton-in-Hales 

 Station. Here he bore again to the left, and hounds went on at an increased 

 pace to Bellaport. Our fox did not enter the coverts here. Leaving Dorrington 

 Old Hall on his right, it looked as if the noted Canridden Covert was his point, 

 but, leaving this covert one field on the left, he went through the Mill Hay Wood, 

 and over the Woore and Nantwich turnpike road for Finson's Hay Gorse. 

 Making his exit on the Onneley side, he must have been headed here, for he 

 turned short back and went through the gorse again, and away on the Bridgemere 

 side, leaving Checkley Wood one field on the right, crossing Checkley Hall Farm, 

 and going through Shaw's Rough into the Deer Park at Doddington. Hounds 

 carried the line very well through the park. The deer, jumping up in all 

 directions here, must have made Dickins rather anxious about his young ones 

 after the long rest ; but hounds never left the line of their fox, and, with Chapel 

 Wood on the right, went away in the direction of Hankelow, bearing round to 

 the left again for Pewit Hall. Still circling to the left and pointing for Chapel 

 Wood, he did not reach that covert, but went to ground by the brookside close 

 by, here ending a very enjoyable day's sport. 



Wednesday, February 4th, is, so far, the red-letter day of the season. 

 Sherratt's Wood was the fixture, but, not finding in this covert, a move was 



