66 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



probably earned the hounds a reputation rather 

 beyond their merits. Although most people are of 

 a different opinion, I have always thought that a 

 new master should either take over the pack at a 

 valuation, or that they should be put up for auction 

 and he could then buy what he wanted. A pack of 

 hounds can be made or marred in six years, so that 

 though a master may take over a lot that are both 

 good in looks and work, those he hands over on 

 retiring may be useless for hunting and worthless 

 on the flags. 



Perhaps I ought to modify this statement that 

 a pack can be altogether ruined in that period, 

 because if the original blood is good the former ex- 

 cellence may be retrieved by judicious breeding. 

 Unfortunately, it is the general rule for the retiring 

 masters to hand over only the same number of 

 hounds that he took in, quite irrespective of their 

 breeding, so that it is possible in buying in drafts 

 to have a pack that has none of the original blood 

 in its composition. Of course, the same argument 

 applies to a very moderate pack, which a good 

 huntsman can convert into one of great excellence, 

 and it is only fair he should reap the benefit of his 

 improvement. 



The purchase of Mr. Coupland's pack was done 

 in the interests of the Quorn Hunt, and the intention 

 was good, but whether it was a wise proceeding is 

 another matter. There was some very good hunting 

 blood in the pack then, and Quorn Alfred was a 

 name that always stood for working qualities in a 

 pedigree. At that time there were " lemon-pied " 

 and " badger-pied " hounds in the kennel, colours 

 you might be certain of seeing at the head of affairs 



