172 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



Colepike about half th& field were refreshing, and there was 

 a general grumble at the failure of the sport. Then someone 

 said : "What about Cockfield with Mr. Cradook to-morrow ? " 

 and, toi cut a, long story shorts, my father sent the horses he 

 and I had been riding to Witton-le-Wear for the night, and 

 we drove homei. An early start was made the next' morning, 

 for Witton-le-Wear and Shotley are aixtoen miles apart., 

 but we knew of field roads for something like two-thirds of 

 the distance, and at Witton-le-Wear we had a ham and eggs 

 breakfast at the inn. Thesie long hacks were thought nothing 

 of fifty yearsi ago, and for some years my father had beten 

 going to Mr. Cradock on occasional Saturdays, sending his 

 horse to^ Witton-le-Wear overnight, or else by the early train 

 to Crook. He nearly always rode himself, avoiding the train, 

 and would pick his horse up either at the meet or at the inn 

 at Witton-le-Wear, as we did on this occasion. Of the first 

 hunt I only remember that we ran to river banks, and that 

 we had a long hack back to the country of the draw, and 

 found at (I think) Butterknowle Whin. There was a gretat 

 scent, and I have little recollection of how the line went, but 

 hounds went on steadily all the afternoon, and when they 

 killed their fox large ironworks on the outskirts of Darlington 

 seemed to be only a, few fields away. Very few got tO' the 

 end of whati was a, very fine hunt, and I have no recollection 

 who was " there " and who was not. All I do know is that I 

 arrived at Witton-le-Wear at. about seven o'clock, had some- 

 thing to eati, and reached Shotley between ten. and eleiven, 

 and thati my father, who was a heiavy man, was several hours 

 in front of -me. And here I may mention, with all due diffi- 

 dence, that it is the really great hunts which live in memory 

 from year to year and are never forgotten. W^ith some packs 

 which I have followed no big hunt stands out, and I am of 

 opinion that when such is the case' no really great hunt 

 occurred during my visits. But through the long line of years 

 a fair number' of really big hunts stand out like landmarks, 

 and I have been fortunate enough to come in for a consider- 

 able number of these. For example, in the first big hunt I 

 ever got. through, which was from Lord Bute's plantation — 

 with the Durham County hounds' — to Brancepeth, I can 

 actually remember the line and recollect going through the 



