192 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



the park in the direction of Bridgmere. The first obstacle to encounter was a 

 stiffish bit of timber, wliich was safely negotiated by about a score of the leading 

 horsemen, the inevitable gap coming sooner or later for those who were not of 

 the front rank. The remainder of the field made for the lodge-gate close by. 

 The line was carried just outside the park fence by Hunsterson, with Brown's 

 Moss on the right, all the way to Bridgmere Lodge, where, after crossing the 

 Woore and Nantwich road, our fox turned sharp to the left, and, skirtmg the 

 bottom end of Shaw's Rough, went on as if for Blakenhall, but, with a right- 

 handed turn, the bitches fairly raced along the brook-side for Checkley Hall. 

 The boggy drain by the brook accounted for several empty saddles here. Our 

 fox now went on straight for Checkley Wood. Emerging on the top side, 

 he was holloaed away by a rustic in the direction of Finson's Hay, but, being 

 headed, Reynard turned back and went into Checkley Wood again lower down. 

 Hounds took the line right through the wood and away, leaving Checkley Hall 

 on the left, where he again crossed the Checkley Brook, and tlie little ladies, 

 racing up the hill, killed their fox handsomely in the open on the Fields Farm. 

 The pace was very good throughout. Time, forty minutes, without a check. 

 Afterwards we drew Lea Park osiers, where hounds got away close at the brush 

 of their second fox, and, running him almost in view for over a mile, rolled him 

 over in a field on the hillside at Blakenhall. Hounds drew Shaw's Rough 

 blank, but as our morning fox passed through the bottom end of this cover, we 

 scarcely expected to find here. The Duke then gave the order for Woore, and 

 a sharp trot brought us to Admiral's Gorse, which proved blank. In Mill Hay a 

 fox was soon on foot, and, breaking on the top side, crossed the Woore and 

 Audlem road, and went on in the direction of Canridden. Here a section of the 

 field, getting a bad start and viewing hounds in the distance pointing over the 

 hill as if for Bellaport, a favourite line with Woore foxes, made a detour to the 

 left to make up lost ground ; but their calculations were this time upset, for 

 Reynard, making a right-handed turn, only skirted the Canridden, and, circling to 

 the right, re-crossed the Woore and Audlem road, going on in the direction of 

 Pewit Hall. Leaving this place on the left, our fox tried the big sand-earths on 

 Pewit Hall Farm, which were fortunately well stopped. Setting his mask now 

 straight for Doddington, he was evidently going to take us a " bee Hue " there, 

 but some boys coming out of Mr. Noden's farm buildings and viewing our fox, 

 headed him right back for Woore. Hounds now travelled along at a great pace, 

 running almost parallel with the Woore and Nantwich road to the Mill Hay 

 Covert, where we found him. Not dwelling a moment here, hounds were away 

 on the top side, leaving Woore Hall on the left, straight over the Woore race- 

 course for Dorrington Old Hall, where our fox turned sharp to the right as if for 

 Bellaport, but leaving Mr. Colville's coverts on his left and still circling to the 

 right, he went back over the hill for Woore, and hounds, diligently hunting the 

 line of their sinking fox, enjoyed their third repast by the side of the famed 

 Canridden Covert. Time, one hour and forty minutes. It was now four o'clock, 

 and every one very happy and satisfied with the day's sport — a leash of foxes 

 having paid the penalty — home was the order. 



On Wednesday, November 30th, the fixture was Dilhorn Hall, the seat of Sir 

 Morton Manningham Buller, a member of an old hunting family and a staunch 

 supporter of the Hunt. Found a good fox in one of the Dilhorn covers. He 

 went away as if for Cheadle Park, but, turning to the right and leaving Cheadle 

 town on his left, set his mask down the valley, and hounds ran on at a gi-eat 

 pace for Draycot Cross. The coverts here were to be shot through on the 

 following day. Dickins therefore tried to stop his hounds before reaching the 



