204 THE XORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



ibx jumped out of a pit. Hounds were quickly laid on, and ran as hard as tliey 

 could go over the Ilawksmoor and Wem's "Wood Farms up to the Glade Wood. 

 Instead of entering the cover, he turned to the left, and ran over the top of the 

 hill nearly to Golling's Rough, where he turned sharp back and made past Norton 

 Wood Farm and the Brand Farm to Norton Railway Station. Then, with a 

 swing to the left, headed for the Rookery at Bellaport, crossed the Bellaport Hall 

 Farm, and ran nearly to Cauridden. He now turned back, and, with a left- 

 handed turn, made good his way to Hankin's Hay ; then raced right along 

 past Hankin's Hay Farm and on as if for Buerton, through Buerton Gorse, 

 leaving it at the bottom end, and crossed the Woodhouse lane, and so on up to 

 Golling's Rough. The scent now failed, and soon after the fox had to be left. 

 This was a remarkably good run of fully two hours, the pace during the greater 

 part of the time being fast. 



We have already briefly referred to the sad loss which 

 the Hunt sustained by the sudden death of their excellent 

 liuntsman, which happened early in February, 1896. 



With regard to the merits of Stephen Dickins as a 

 huntsman, there can only be one opinion amongst those 

 who have had any real experience of him in the field. We 

 do not doubt that, if you could poll the past and present 

 members of the Hunt, there would be a hearty and 

 practically unanimous vote in his favour. The present 

 writer had fully twenty years' experience of him with 

 the North Stafl:brd Hounds, and he does not hesitate to 

 say that in his opinion Dickins was as good a man for 

 the North Stafford country as you could reasonably expect 

 or wish to see. 



Some critics might think he was not quick enough, or 

 brilliant enough, for Leicestershire or Northamptonshire, 

 with their enormous crowds of jealous horsemen and their 

 flying country, though our own opinion is that he would 

 have been bad to beat in any company ; at any rate, for the 

 smaller fields and cramped country of North Stafford- 

 shire Dickins was undoubtedly the right man in the right 

 place, and in the handling of his hounds in the field, in 

 his riding to them on all occasions, and in his kennel 

 management, we always considered him quite first class. 

 No huntsman is altogether perfect, and perhaps Dickins 

 may have been inclined to draw his coverts too quietly, 

 without as much music from voice or horn as Charles 

 Leedham and Joe Maiden, for instance, were wont to give. 



