216 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



" February 2Uh, 1897. Bird-in-IIand. — Drew Hose Wood blank. Wlieii 

 coming away, a fox was seen asleep in a ploughed field below New Close Sprink. 

 We put him up, and had a 'good fifty minutes. The line was by Painsley Hall 

 up to Hose Wood, through it to New Close Sprink, down where we found him 

 to the North Staffordshire Railway. He ran by Cresswell Station, leaving Saverley 

 Oreen on the left, through Leacroft to Fulford Quarry, and ran him to ground in 

 <a drain in Stallington Park. We could easily have got him out, but left him 

 })ecause he was a Draycot fox. We trotted back to Fradswell Heath ; got on to 

 a line of a fox ; hunted him slowly through Birchwood Park to Middleton Green, 

 back through Brindley's Wood, where we got up to our fox. Then he went 

 away at a good pace over a beautiful line of country by Leigh, and ran him to 

 ground in the Meynell country at Field. This was a good forty minutes. 



"ilfarc/i bth, 1897. Manor House, Ashley. — Found near Lordsley. Ran 

 sharp to Willoughbridge by the Lodge to Mucklestone back by Winnington and 

 Bearston Mill; ran him to gi'ound in the river-bank below Napeley Heath. 

 Drew the Cow Leasows blank ; found in the Forty Acres. Ran fast through 

 Willowbridge to Maer Hills ; stopped the hounds, but five and a half couples 

 went on with the fox to Chatcull. We went to Burnt Woods ; drew them blank. 

 Found in Park Springs (Hales). Ran very fast for fifteen minutes ; ran him to 

 gi-ound in a rock at Old Springs. Got him out, gave him a start ; hounds raced 

 up to him and killed below Hales. Later news : the five and a half couple 

 killed their fox at Charnes. A very good scenting day. Hounds could run as 

 well in covert as in the open. 



^^ March Sth, 1897. Norton-iii- Hales. — Drew the Betton Coverts blank. 

 Found three foxes in Golling's Rough. Had a slow hunt with one to Kynsal and 

 back by Highfields, and beat us near Golling's Rough. Drew the Rough again, 

 but did not find. Found in Adderley Gorse, but did nothing. Found in Buerton 

 Gorse. Had a very nice gallop to Bellaport by the Glades to Brownhills, where he 

 tried the earths, which were stopped ; then away at the top through the new 

 ]ilantation, and beat us in the Glades Wood. Found in Bellaport Wood. Had 

 another nice gallop nearly to the Canridden by the Woore Ash, back over the 

 Racecourse by Dorrington, back through Bellaport, and beat us near the Brand 

 Farm. No scent in the morning, but in the afternoon hounds ran very nicely. 

 On leaving Buerton Gorse, poor Daphne, one of our best bitches, was kicked by 

 u horse and broke her thigh. She had to be destroyed. A great loss. 



''March 12th, 1897. Oakley Folly.— Kis Grace the Duke of Sutherland 

 hunted the hounds. I was at home ill. His Grace drew the Folly, the coverts 

 near Oakley Hall, Tunstall Rough, Brickyard Covert, and Rectory gardens 

 blank. Found in the Cow Leasows, and lost him near Willoughbridge. Found 

 a brace in Mucklestone Wood. Had a very nice gallop through the Forty Acres, 

 by Oakley nearly to Betton, and back by Oakley, and lost him. Found in the 

 Rookery Wood, Bellaport. Had a very good gallop to Dorrington over the 

 Woore Racecourse by the Ash, nearly to Admiral's Gorse, on by Three Brooks 

 College Fields Drumble to Bellaport Wood, through it and on to Norton Wood. 

 Hounds were in the same field as the fox. Here a fresh fox jumped up. 

 Hounds ran him through Golling's Rough to the Glades before they could be 

 stopped. 



" March 29th, 1897. Mucklestone Village. — Drew Bellaport Coverts blank. 

 Found in the Canridden. Had a nice gallop by Bellaport and Napeley Heath to 

 the Forty Acres and to Lordsley Gorse, and lost him. Drew Betton and 

 Golling's Rough Blank. Found in Adderley Gorse. Killed in Mr. Kellock's 

 f^tackyard. Found in Buerton Gorse; lost him near Woore. A good day." 



