OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 41 



caught, although they seldom missed their foxes 

 in other parts of the hunt. 



A word or two more as to Old Park Coppice 

 as a good covert for sport. I had four very 

 superior runs from it in one season, and killed 

 each day ; and it afforded me several good days 

 sport besides ; I will mention a few of them. 

 One run of an hour and twenty minutes, and 

 killed at Colonel Strutt's, near Maldon, 12 miles 

 an end at least. Another, with a Fox of the year, 

 the quickest thing I ever saw, and killed him 

 a few fields from Takely Forest, the Pack running 

 into him in the open. Again, a run of one hour 

 and ten minutes, ten miles an end and killed. 

 But a run I had from a covert a short distance 

 from Old Park, was one of the most brilliant 

 things I witnessed during the time I kept hounds ; 

 when we found him we considered him an Old 

 Park fox ; and as he went away, a friend of 

 mine, an old member of the " Talents Hunt," 

 said to me, " there he goes, he is one of the old 

 sort, my Master, he is not to be measured to-day ! 

 You will never see him again ! " my answer was, 

 " / hope not alive, Sir^ My hounds were close 

 at his brush when he broke covert, and they 

 went the very best pace for fifty-five minutes 

 over the open without a check, and killed him 

 at the edge of a chain of woodlands, where we 



