WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 19 



beth's pugs being again reproduced, and Dandie Dinmonts 

 rkchauff&d in every form save that of the true Davidson 

 we may yet live to see the present gaudy hound renewed and 

 improved by the pure blood of some original, better-nosed, and 

 less flashy race. That more real sport, and a far finer display 

 of hound's work, 



" On dusty road or tainted green," 



would be the sure result of such a revival, is the opinion, I repeat, 

 of many who, after a life of experience with hounds, have given 

 their judgment on this subject 



" Three wolves in one day ; and the old dam driven into 

 the Forest of Coedmawr," said Keryfan, exultingly, to me. " A 

 slaughter that would have satisfied Edgar ; but one that, if I 

 mistake not, St. Prix would be sorry to indulge in too often." 



" That I should quite expect/' I replied. " Your country may 

 abound with wolves ; but a too frequent recurrence of such a day 

 would doubtless soon thin it, and many a cover would be drawn 

 blank before the end of the season." 



"True enough," said St. Prix, joining in the conversation. 

 "The forests are so extensive, and the wolf so suspicious of 

 danger, so shifty, and so erratic in his habits, especially after 

 this month, that an old one found to-day in Finisterre would 

 to-morrow be killing his mutton on the banks of the Loire ; so 

 we need have a good head of game, or our sport would soon 

 wane in this wild country. It is now exactly five years ago since 

 we last killed three wolves on the same day ; and, oddly enough, 

 we then lost a valuable hound called " Warrior," which was so 

 mutilated in the fray that we were compelled to destroy him on 

 the spot. He was a broken-haired Welsh hound, given me by an 

 English gentleman, and was the only exotic I ever owned that 

 took as readily as our own native hounds do to the scent of the 

 wolf and the wild boar. A better hound never entered a cover." 



Then, knowing St. Prix to be a thorough houndsman, I 



