212 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



off, and the pair went a real ender into the next field. Dickins, somewhat dazed, 

 picked himself up, and asked a man who was ploughing to catch his liorse lor 

 him. Tlie man remonstrated, and said he was a great fool to jump at such a 

 place, for it was only yesterday that they had put it up ! Anyhow, he caught 

 his horse, and, pursuing his journey, had the satisfaction of arriving at the main 

 earth at Newbold, just in time to stop his friend, wliom he saw approaching with 

 his tongue out and dead-beat. This reads like murdering such a good fox, who, 

 if it had not been for Stephen's cunning, would have lived for another day. No 

 wonder after this that he fought shy of timber. During the many j'ears he was 

 with us, he was mounted by Captain Nugent and Lord Stafford on some very 

 good horses, but he always said the two best he ever rode in his life were Black- 

 bird and ]\Ionarch. 



" How well some of us remember Dickins's last day with the hounds ! The 

 meet was at the Loggerheads. He didn't appear at the time to be ill, or suffering 

 pain, but soon after the hounds had started and found a fox in Tunstall Rough, 

 they ran for Peatswood, to ground in a rabbit-hole in a fence. Dickins, coming 

 up soon afterwards, did not get oflf his horse, as he usually did on such occasions. 

 Mr. Wood (who was in charge, the Duke not being out) asked him if there was 

 anything the matter, and he then stated that he was in such fearful pain he could 

 hardly sit on his horse. Mr. Wood at once requested him to go home, but had 

 some difficulty in getting him to acquiesce. In going down the road to the Folly, 

 Dickins dropped his horn, which is always considered an unlucky thing witli 

 huntsmen, and directly afterwards he left hounds and rode home, the hounds 

 going on with Boxall to hunt them. This was the last time Dickins was ever 

 seen by any of us, for as soon as he got home he went to bed and never left it, 

 and died a few days after." 



Of this scene Mr. Dobson writes — 



" I think one of the most pathetic scenes I ever witnessed out lumting was 

 when Dickins, on the last day he was out, feeling too ill, gave his horn to Boxall 

 and quietly went home. Boxall moved off with the hounds to draw, and as they 

 were jogging along we looked round and missed Dickins, and almost the whole 

 pack started after him." 



The season of 1896-97 was Boxall's first complete 

 season with the horn. He l)egan well with a capital 

 record in the cubbing season. Thirty-six days out in 

 September and October, forty-four foxes killed, and thirty- 

 one run to ground. The following are extracts from his 

 diary : — 



" November 'ith, 1896. Bird-in-Hand. — Found, and ran to gi'ound in 

 Bromley Wood. Drew New Close Sprink, the Gorse, and Sherratt's Wood 

 blank. Found near the keeper's house. Ran on to Fradswell Heath, back 

 towards Hilderstone ; then turned back by Sherratt's Wood, and ran the valley 

 between Birchwood Park and Brindley's Long Plantation, up Chartley Park, 

 across that by the Castle, over Chartley Moss to Newton Gorse, and beat us near 

 Newton village. This was a nice hunting run of one hour and twenty minutes, 

 and from Birchwood Park to Newton is all in the Meynell country. 



