THE BASSET HOUND. 213 



on it. Their clear, deep, bell-like notes are far sweeter than 

 those of any other Hound, and when they are hidden in 

 cover, tell exactly what they are doing. When once heard, 

 the clear ring of their notes is never forgotten. Their short, 

 crooked legs seem almost incapable of being tired, and their 

 natural pace is about seven miles an hour. For hunting 

 on foot they are as superior to Beagles as for being shot 

 over on rabbits, but their value renders a pack of any size 

 out of the question. The scratch pack that the members of 

 the Basset Hound Club kept, showed very good sport. 



Basset Hounds have the best of tempers. I have never 

 known of one to attempt to bite, except in the case of pup- 

 pies when being punished for some misdemeanor or other, 

 and then they did it from fright more than from ill nature. 

 In fact, their disposition is a trifle too mild and inoffensive 

 for a sporting dog; although they run game with the utmost 

 keenness, and when their quarry is standing "at bay" 

 they will give tongue with the utmost fierceness, usually 

 showing no desire to go in for blood, even in the case of a 

 rabbit. In the latter case they would usually play with it 

 as though it were a puppy, if left to themselves: Against 

 other dogs, too, they seldom try to defend themselves. 



Puppies are rather hard to rear, especially in a cold 

 climate, but the old dogs are very hardy. Even among the 

 best-bred specimens, the teeth are sometimes very small, 

 unusually many in number, and the lower jaw shorter than 

 the upper. Basset Hound puppies are most whimsical- 

 looking little beggars, and their big bright eyes have the 

 softest, dreamiest expression imaginable. 



There is something of an Old World air about a Basset 

 Hound; his appearance has something quaint and mediaeval 

 in it. It makes one think insensibly of old tapestries rep- 

 resenting a grand cTiasse at the forest court of one of the 

 old Valois kings at Fontainbleau, where the Basset Hound 

 undoubtedly "posed," not only in his sporting capacity, 

 but as the pet of the great ladies, who probably held him in 

 as high favor as the ladies of Elizabeth's court did Basket 

 Beagles. 



