THE NORTH DURHAM COUNTRY. 25 



John Greenwell, who was a fine judge of everything con- 

 nectod with hunting, and not given to overestimating the 

 doings of hounds, held a strong opinion to the effect that this 

 was the best run he ever knew of with the North Durham, 

 and I am much inclined to agree with him. A bettt^r line could 

 not be found in this particular country, for hounds ran almost 

 into Lanchester without touching a covert except the few acres 

 of Robinson's Wood. They then went on to Woodlands, all 

 open country, until they creased a corner of the Sawmill Wood, 

 near the Five Lane Ends. Through Rippon Burn they 

 travelled so fast that hounds were two fields ahead when the 

 riders got through the wood, and when they reached Lord 

 Bute's tiiey merely ran down the North Plantation inside the 

 wall, and went straight out at the west end. Of course, the 

 fox was an exceptional one for any country, and, judged by 

 his mask, about four or five years old. 



I seem to have written a good deal about John Greenwell 

 and the hunting he looked after, but, as was recognised at the 

 time, he was quite an exceptional sportsman, and had the 

 knack of doing everything well. With all his knowledge he 

 was a shy and retiring man, who would never attend a public 

 function in case he might be asked to make a speech, and who 

 never threw his tongue except when he was hunting hounds. 

 He was for a time in the 4th battalion of the Durham Light 

 Infantry (then a militia regiment), and he was for a few 

 terms at Cambridge, and I feel that I would not be doing 

 him j ustice unless I recounted a little story of his life in either 

 place. The militia episode comes first, and is as follows : The 

 recruits of the regiment had two months* training at the old 

 barracks in Durham every spring before the full regiment went 

 into camp. I was staying at Broomshields, and John, then 

 one of the senior subalterns, and I drove one Saturday to 

 Du'rham to dine at the mass, and a friend, who' was serving 

 with the recruits, was to return with us, having leave for Sun- 

 day. It was a guest night, and a festive one, and about mid- 

 night we started on our homeward drive of thirteen miles. 

 John decided to go by Esh instead of by Lanchester, and drove, 

 while our friend was on the back seat of a high dogcart. All 

 went well until we reached Aldin Grange, about two miles out 

 of Durham, and here there was a bridge over the river Browney. 



