190 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



skirting Ellenhall Park and Walton's Rough, hounds raced on to Ranton Abbey, 

 in the Albrighton country. Unfortunately a heavy snowstorm came on at this 

 point, and nothing further could be made of him. This was a very quick thirty- 

 five minutes without a check. After half an hour's trot back into our own 

 country, drew the osier-bed near Copmere End, where a good stout fox was 

 found. Breaking on the Horseley Hall side, hounds went fast back to Wincote 

 Wood, where Reynard did not dwell long. Going away on the Johnson Hall 

 end of the wood and through the small cover near the Hall, he bore to the left, 

 and leaving the Wootton and Eccleshall road on the right, went on nearly up to 

 Eccleshall, and, circling to the left, ran almost parallel with the Eccleshall and 

 Market Drayton road, along the valley for Sugnall Hall. Crossing the road here, 

 and passing through the Sugnall covers, he bore to the left, skirting the village 

 of Sugnall, and, with Croxton on his left, went as far as Blackwater. Bearing to 

 the right here, and passing close to Charnes Hall, he made a sharp turn to the 

 right and on straight to Chatcull. Hounds were very quickly out of this cover, 

 and, streaming down the hill, went over the Standon Brook, which was running 

 bank-high, and a fair " yawner " at this point. However, the very " select few " 

 who were fortunate enough to keep with hounds negotiated it safely — one of 

 them with a fall, on the right side. Leaving Standon village on the left, 

 hounds carried the line on to Walford Osier-bed, adjoining the river Meece and 

 close to the London and North-Western main line. It was impossible to get 

 over without going round by the Mill Meece Bridge, and by the time Dickins got 

 round he found hounds checked on the railway. Two trains were in sight, so 

 he had to blow his hounds off as quickly as possible. After a time Dickins 

 recovered the line, and hounds hunted slowly in the direction of Cold Meece 

 but, another storm coming on and scent failing, he was given up. This was 

 a really good run. Time, one hour fifteen minutes from find to finish, without 

 any check until the railway was reached, and about an hour up to this point. 



Monday, December 14th, opened with pouring rain and half a gale of cold 

 north-west wind, but later in the day the sun shone, and by the time hounds 

 made their appearance at Norton-in-Hales, punctually at eleven o'clock by the 

 church clock, it was not at all a bad sort of hunting morning, and proved to be 

 so far the red-letter day of the season. A move was made to Betton. Found 

 our first fox in Betton Moss, and ran a ring round Brown Hills, and away fast to 

 Tunstall Hall. Crossing the river Tern above the pool, and the Market Drayton 

 and Loggerheads road below the Red Bull, he went on to Almington village, 

 where we lost him. Afterwards trotted back to Betton. Drew Brown Hills, but 

 did not find, as hounds had taken their first fox through one end of the covert. 

 A fox was, however, soon on foot in Betton Gorse, hounds going away at a great 

 pace past the Brand Hall crossing, the Norton-in-Hales and Adderley road, over 

 the Brand Dairy Farm, and, leaving Norton-in-Hales Station on the right 

 and Bellaport Hall on the left, hounds raced down the hill to the Bellaport 

 Woods. Our fox went right through the Bearstone Wood, emerging on the 

 Woore side, and hounds streamed away over the hill as if for Woore, but, leaving 

 the Canridden on the right, he went on for College Fields Drumble. Skirting 

 this cover and bearing to the left, hounds had now the best of it up to Buerton 

 Gorse. Going through the top end of the cover, Reynard bore to the right and 

 went on to Kynsall Lodge, and, after passing through Mi-. Hall's grounds, crossed 

 the Norton and Audlem road, and ran nearly up to Audlem, where he turned 

 again to the left. Crossing the canal, and going through Cocks' Bank cover, the 

 line was carried over the Great Western Railway as far as Adderley village, 

 where the fia-st check took place. Getting on the line again in Adderley Park, 



