THE BRAES OF DERWENT COUNTRY. 95 



is good in covert, and hounds are running hard all the time, 

 but more frequently, especially if scent is not particularly 

 good in covert, fresh foxes intervene, and this applies to the 

 Healey coverts even more than those of Minsteracres. It 

 •will be understood, then, that in hunts of this character a 

 stranger must choose a pilot, and his choice may be lucky or 

 the reverse, for the field has a habit of splitting up into 

 groups, and is never concentrated as when the hunting takes 

 place in the open. It is the case that all the regular attendants 

 of these Minsteracres and Healey meets know the country 

 well, but all have not the same ideas, and, for example, if 

 hounds are drawing Healey Big Wood, or run a fox into it, 

 men and women will be seen going in several directions, 

 some along the many rides of the covert, others to points of 

 vantage outside, and so forth. The covert has many rides 

 through and across it, but they want knowing, for there 

 is an occasional boggy bottom, and at least one dangerous 

 place. And as regards the Kellas plantations, there is one 

 good road through each of the woods, while the rides, 

 especially in South Kellas, are almost bottomless in wet 

 weather. The shooting of the Healey and Kellas plantations, 

 the property of INIr. Warde Aldam, of Monk Fryston, Yorks, 

 is rented by Mr. Dickinson, of Healey Hall, a regular follower 

 of the hunt, who has a sublime disregard for the bogs in his 

 own neighbourhood, but though he knows exactly when t© 

 hop round a bog, or get oflf and lead for a few yards, the 

 same knowledge is not vouchsafed to everyone, and to put 

 it briefly, great circumspection is required in these coverts. 



It must be understood that what are called bogs are not 

 real bogs like the Irish ones, but soft places of very small 

 extent, generally not more than a couple of yards across, 

 but green and inviting to the unwary, and quite soft enough 

 to bring a horse down. What I have described is one, and 

 the worst, side of hunting in the Minsteracres and Healey dis- 

 trict, and now going back to the former place I may say 

 something about its best side, and j5rst I may mention the 

 two whin coverts at Minsteracres. One of these is on New- 

 field farm, and foxes found on it five times out of six at once 

 cross Barley Hill and go either to Newhoiis© or Espershields, 

 both on the south side of the ridge. From the place named 



