Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
In 1736, when the Harrogate season commenced, Metcalf resumed his
musical occupation, and was well received at all the inns, where he was
always given free quarters for himself and horse.
The Green Dragon at that place was kept by a Mr. Body, who had two
nephews with him; and when the hunting season drew near its close,
these, with some other young men, expressed a desire for a day's sport;
and knowing that Mr. Woodburn, the master of the Knaresborough pack of
hounds, had often lent them to Metcalf, they asked Blind Jack to procure
for them the pleasure of a run. Metcalf had no doubt but that Mr.
Woodburn would grant him this favour, and went, flushed with hope, to
Mr. Woodburn, requesting him to lend the pack the next day. This,
however, was a favour out of his power to grant, as Mr. Woodburn
politely informed him, as he had engaged to meet Mr. Trappes with the
hounds next morning upon Scotton Moor, for the purpose of entering some
young foxhounds. Chagrined at this, Metcalf debated with himself whether
the disappointment should fall to the lot of Mr. Woodburn's friends or
his own, and resolved that it should not be to the latter. He arose the
next morning before daybreak, and crossed the High Bridge. He took with
him an excellent hound of his own, and nipping him by the ears, made him
give mouth loudly, himself hallooing at the same time. This device had
so good an effect that in a few minutes he had nine couples about him,
as the hounds were kept by various people about the shambles, &c, and
were suffered to lie unkennelled. Mounting his horse, away he rode with
the dogs to Harrogate, where he met his friends ready mounted and in
high spirits. Some of them proposed going to Bilton wood, near
Knaresborough, but this was opposed by Metcalf, who preferred the moor;
in fact, he was apprehensive of being followed by Mr. Woodburn, and
wished accordingly to be at some distance from Knaresborough.
Following his advice, they drew the moor at the distance of five miles,
where they started a hare, killed her after a fine chase, and
immediately put up another. Just at this moment up came Mr. Woodburn,
foaming with anger, swearing terribly, and threatening to send Metcalf
to the House of Correction.
He swung his whip round his head, intending to horse-whip the rogue, but
Metcalf heard the whistle of the lash in the air, and escaped the stroke
by making his horse start aside.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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