AUGUSTUS F. ROSS 177 



several foxes being afoot, and, after a slow cold- 

 scenting run of an hour and twenty minutes, the 

 hunted fox was lost near Topsham Bridge. The 

 hounds were then trotted off to some coverts on the 

 right bank of the Avon above Gara Bridge, permission 

 to draw which had been given by Admiral Parker, 

 the master of the Dartmoor Hounds. After drawing 

 two or three coverts blank (the Dartmoor Hounds 

 having run through them, and killed a fox on the 

 preceding Friday and Tuesday), the hounds were 

 thrown into a young larch plantation at Clunkamoor, 

 when almost immediately a fox was seen to slip out 

 at the bottom. After being headed, he turned to the 

 right, pointing for Blackball, and the hounds raced 

 away over some stiffly fenced grass fields on Bickham 

 Farm ; then leaving Huish village on the left, they sank 

 the valley by the Parsonage and checked on the hill 

 opposite Langford. On recovering the line, they ran 

 over the Langford meadows, and, going over Butter- 

 ford and Whetcombe (where the stiff fences stopped 

 not a few of the field), faced the rising ground to 

 Corswell, and, after entering Leigh Copse and running 

 straight through Timber Wood, Hotall and Harts 

 Wood, got on to some heavy plough-land near Black- 

 down, where scent failed. Time, one hour and ten 

 minutes, with only two checks. Among those who 

 stuck to the hounds and rode the whole run were the 

 master, Miss Bidder, Captain Chichester and Messrs. 

 Riley, G. Allen, Codner (Torquay), Hare, Arundel, 

 J. Trist and a few others. Having regard to the 

 nature of the country, and to the fact that it was 

 strange to the huntsman, the day's sport seems to 

 have been very satisfactory. 



At the time I remember Mr. Ross, the hunt had 

 come to rather a low ebb. One brilliant burst I 



