HUNTING ON THE FELLS 91 



type is second to none for pace, would, I think, be 

 inclined to change their opinion, if they timed one 

 of these trails. The hounds entered are nothing 

 more than fell foxhounds. Sometimes one of a 

 litter bred at the kennels goes as a trail hound, 

 and vice versa. Yet, with all their pace, these 

 hounds can hunt a cold line with the best, and 

 will let you know all about it whilst they are 

 doing it. 



I have already mentioned the fact that the 

 fell hounds pick up the drag of their fox, and work 

 this out until they reach his hiding-place and 

 unkennel him. 



Sometimes the drag covers a long distance. 

 When the Rev. E. M. Reynolds was Master of the 

 Coniston Hounds, the latter picked up a drag near 

 Rydal Park, carried it over High Pike up to Hart 

 Crag, and down the ridge into Hartsop, where they 

 unkennelled their fox in Low Wood overlooking 

 Brothers' Water. On another occasion the same 

 pack struck a drag in Skelghyll Wood, near 

 Windermere Lake, carried it forward the entire 

 length of the Troutbeck valley, and out at Thresh- 

 waite Mouth at the fell head, unkennelling their 

 fox about a mile beyond the last- mentioned point. 

 As a rule, it is pretty safe to say that a drag which 

 leads towards the high ground, is right, though on 

 occasion such a hne may prove to be heel-way. 

 Even old and experienced hounds are not 



