1-2 Hunting in the Golden Days. 



his midnight feast. What hound work ! What music 

 from those old-fashioned, deep-throated packs ! The 

 huntsmen knew every hound and cheered them on by 

 their names ; many long runs they had, and surely it was 

 better sport than running into a fox after twenty minutes, 

 as with present day hounds, for very few foxes now- 

 adays will stand up before them longer if there is a 

 scent. 



Talking about long runs reminds me of one that took 

 place in 1793. Here it is, taken from a good old 

 journal : — 



" On the I ith January last an old dog fox was found 

 in Perrin Wood in the County of Kent, by T. D. 

 Brockman's hounds. He ran through the following 

 parishes : — Postdene, Saltwood, Newington, Paddles - 

 worth, Acrise, Limminge, Eltham, Denton, Barham, 

 Kingstone, Bishopsbourne, Hard, and Bridge vStreet, 

 forming a zig-zag of 32 miles, which was run in two 

 hours and twenty-one minutes to the last-mentioned 

 place, where the old dog fox was forced to surrender a 

 life which he endeavoured to preserve by that strength 

 and agility unequalled by his race." 



Many of the packs in the early days were trencher 

 fed, and on a hunting morning were collected by a man 

 who went through the villages blowing a horn. I know 

 an old man who still takes a keen interest in all matters 

 connected with sport, although he has grown too old 

 and feeble to do much himself When a boy he man- 

 aged to persuade his father, rather against the latter's 

 will, to keep a hound. One morning, when working in 

 the forge, the old dog, who was lying on the floor, heard 

 the sound of the horn in the distance. 



** Father," said the boy, ** shall I let Trueman out ? " 



"You go on with your work," was the father's reply, 



