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CHAPTER XVIII. 



SEASON OF 1899-1900 — DODDINGTON AND MODDERSHALL 



SEIGHFORD AND MADELEY — BIRD-IN-HAND AND WOORE 



— 1900-1901 — DODDINGTON AND BARL ASTON GREEN 



1901-1902 — LONG FROST — CLOSE OF SEASON. 



The cub-hunting season of 1899-1900 started on the St. 

 Leger Day, Wednesday, September 6th, Flying Fox's 

 year. Boxall records in his diary as a remarkable circum- 

 stance that they did not find a fox, either on the first or 

 last day of cub-hunting, and these were their only blank 

 days of the season. 



From Boxall's diary : 



^'November Qth, 1899. Woo7-e. — Found a very nice lot of foxes in the Can- 

 ridden. Had a nice gallop with one to Woore village. Hounds got divided in 

 the field where we met. I went with one lot, and ran a good pace through Fin- 

 son's Hay Gorse to Checkley Wood, and ran him to gi'ound near Bridgemere. 

 Got hounds together at Checkley. Found several foxes there, but did nothing; 

 found in Finson's Hay Gorse. Ran to Checkley Wood, and beat us. When coming 

 away a fox was viewed coming to the wood, but he was turned back and ran him 

 to ground in a sand-hole near Woore. Drew the Mill Hay and Admiral's Gorse 

 blank. Found in Harrow's Wood. Had a very nice gallop, and killed him near 

 Doddington Hall. A glorious day. Not much scent in covert, but hounds could 

 hold their own when fairly on the line of a fox and settled to him. It was a very 

 enjoyable day for the opening of the season. Several falls ; no one hurt. His 

 Grace hunted the hounds. 



" Novemier IQth. Ashley Village. — Drew the Cow Leasows, and found 

 a nice lot of foxes. Hounds bustled them about a little ; one beat us at Muckle- 

 stone. Found in Willoughbridge. Had a nice little gallop, and beat us near 

 Ashley Heath. Found in Green Lane Coppice, Bromley. Had a good himt 

 nearly to Standon Rough, back by Charnes to the Green Lane Coppice, through 

 all the Bromley coverts to the Clayholders, up to Chorlton, back through the 

 Clayholders. Here his Grace had to leave us, and I finished the run and killed in 

 the Hicks Covert, Bromley. A nice run. One hour and five minutes. A very 

 nice day. Found plenty of foxes. There was a very useful scent, and had a 

 good day's sport. 



