KEIR TO FIFE KENNELS, 347 



of the litter, was found dead near the railway bridge 

 at Perth, and there had been as much lamentation 

 over him as there was for Syren. Bonny Lass, one 

 of Fred's " premium lasses" at Redcar, was of course 

 called up to verify what so much astonished Captain 

 Williams and his tape-line, viz., that she is 29^ 

 inches round the heart and 5 inches below the 

 knee. 



Dairymaid was another of the Redcar three couple, 

 and as good as an otter hound among the rocks ; and 

 Tempest, Charmer, Symmetry (a niece of Syren's), 

 and Tragedy made up the prize lot, which had a long 

 seaside ramble on the Redcar morning, and came to 

 the post as clean as smelts. Conqueror is a grena- 

 dier to look at, but always there when there is a 

 pace ; so is Ringwood, one of the big Bramham blue 

 and whites, hard in temper, but capital in work, and 

 the sire of a capital litter from Captive. Matron is a 

 regular chub, and Melody all life, with too short 

 ears. " She's a merry beast all the Marlboroughs 

 were" said Fred, enunciating this great truth with 

 a deeply solemn face. Then the Master chimes in : 

 ee As for Trooper, if Fife were not almost an island, he 

 could'nt have been kept in it, though he goes out 

 every day" Ranter, has been out thirteen times 

 running ; but the sort are all hard tempers, and 

 difficult to break, and "the very flesh has to be 

 knocked off their bones to keep them quiet." 



And so we run through them. There is the red Wild- 

 fire, so often in front that she has been mistaken for 



