WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 105 



called Caporal, a red, rough, Brittany tufter, had been consider- 

 ably singed and blistered ; but the rest of them, man and all, had 

 escaped miraculously ; while the hunting-cap, that had fallen from 

 the piqueur's head, had been burned to a cinder. 



There is a popular old hunting song, in which the music of 

 hounds in full cry is described as a "musical din/' but the expres- 

 sion is not a happy one, and would far better describe the clatter 

 of horns that roused every soul in Gourin, set the hounds baying, 

 and the bowels of every horse in commotion, a long hour before 

 daylight on the morn of the Kcenig hunt. Soon after seven 

 o'clock, while yet the pall of night was hanging in heavy, misty 

 clouds over the little town, but gradually growing into a lighter 

 and less sombre hue, M. de Kergoorlas, with eighteen couple of 

 hounds at his horse's heels, jogged leisurely past the Cheval 

 Blanc. The picture would have been one of infinite beauty to 

 a houndsman's eye, had there been light enough to enjoy it ; 

 but so dark, rufous, and grisly-grey in colour was the whole pack, 

 that it was impossible to distinguish the figure of individual 

 hounds as they trotted past the hotel in that murky gloom. 

 Afterwards, however, both in the field and in their several kennels 

 for they occupied at least three peasants' cottages ample 

 opportunity was afforded for inspecting the distinctive points of 

 these magnificent hounds. 



The race of all French hounds, claiming a pedigree, is usually 

 traced, or rather attributed, to the blood of St. Hubert, a good 

 bishop who hunted the country of the Ardennes about the year 

 1680, and whose representatives, occupying the monastery of that 

 saint, paid an annual tribute of young hounds to the French 

 kings, addicted to the chase, in the Middle Ages. From the 

 royal patronage bestowed on these hounds, it is reasonable to 

 infer that their blood found its way into every kennel of the 

 land ; and, prized as we know it to have been for power of 

 nose and perseverance in chase, great care and attention were 



