272 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1894 



of showing successfully at the only show of the year, masters of hoimds are 

 ready to deliberately sacrifice working qualities for looks and pace — both, by 

 the way, veiy excellent points. With regard to pace, the objection of "Thirty 

 Seasons " that the Warwickshire go so fast that if you are, say seventieth or 

 eightieth through a gap you see nothing of the hunting, does not, we think, 

 come to much. If, instead of taking the Warwickshire, we substitute the 

 vei-y slowest pack of hounds to be found in England, should we see very much 

 more of the fun if, from choice or necessity, we let al)out a hundred people go 

 before us at a gate ? — Ed.j 



From the Field July 28th : 



Sir, — It is not my intention to take up your time l)y defending this show, 

 which can well be left to stand on its own merits, but as your correspondent, 

 " Thirty Seasons," has thought fit to go out of his way to run down the War- 

 wickshire hounds, perhaps a few words from me will not be out of place. His 

 insinuations as to their non-killing capabilities are easily answered. 



Last season they killed between August 20th and November 1st nineteen 

 brace of foxes; between November 1st and Christmas, thirteen brace 

 (November was a very dull and scentless month) ; and between Christmas and 

 March 19th, nineteen brace — fifty-one brace in all. Hunting ended on 

 March 24th, owing to the hardness of the ground. Only three brace were 

 dixg out and killed on the earth after November 1st. Most of the foxes killed 

 after October 1st died in the open after useful runs. 



Now as to the " silence " of the pack. 



If they are " silent," it is evident that I know nothing whatever about the 

 business to which I have devoted my best attention for the last eighteen 

 years. During that time I have bred the Warwickshire hounds principally 

 for cry ; I have never bred from a hound in the least shy of throwing his or 

 her tongue, and have never kept one another season, I may say another day, 

 that I have ever detected on the line of a fox without speaking to it. Mute- 

 ness is of course the worst fault a foxhound can have by a very long way. 



But who could hear any pack from the position your correspondent 

 appears to occupy, i.e., the middle of a throng of seventy or eighty men and 

 women jostling at a gap, and chattering to one another? 



I quite agree with your correspondent that people like these, who have 

 neither nerve to ride over a country nor sense to keep to the roads, but go 

 about breaking and pulling down fences that they dare not ride over, would 

 be far better on the Parade at Leaming-ton, or in their homes. 



Kineton, Warwickshire, July 26th. Willoughby de Broke. 



Sir, — I agree with you that " Thirty Season's " remark on the Peter- 

 borough hound shows, and, indeed, his whole letter, are not really worthy of 

 attention. 



Nevertheless, his insinuations {a) That Lord Willoughljy de Broke keeps 

 hounds in his kennel simply for show ; {h) that the Warwieksliire are a mute 

 pack ; (c) that they fail to kill their foxes, absurd though they are, might 

 perhaps mislead the unwary, and should therefore, I think, not be entirely 

 passed over without notice. 



Having been intiiuately connected with the Warwickshire liounds ever 

 since my boyhood, having had the honour of lieing master, and now having 



