INTRODUCTION 



still on a horse on some hill-top and bear his hounds work and, by riding 

 from point to point, watch them as they pass him and let them do all the 

 work, let him, by all means, stick to the American hound with his tender 

 nose and free tongue. His hounds may be throwing their tongues on a line 

 four hours old, or it may be the line of a hare or some other riot, he can't tell, 

 but he won't know; and this is one of the cases "where ignorance is bliss." 

 Nay, we'll admit that often they may be right, and that if he is a riding man 

 and cares to, he'll often have a cracking run and kill his fox — so he would 

 if he had drawn his covert as an Englishman would with English hounds ; be- 

 side saving a lot of time while hounds were "towling" away on that cold line. 

 But if he wants to get a day's hunting as many men enjoy it most; if he wants 

 to see hounds and huntsman work together, help each other like good parts 

 of a well-built machine, then let him go out with English hounds, let him see 

 them draw their coverts and find their fox, and force him out, and on, at such 

 a pace that it takes a good horse and a stout-hearted man to stay with them. 

 Perhaps they'll lose him if the scent is bad, or some unforeseen occurrence 

 presents itself — perhaps they'll put him to ground and perhaps they'll kill him 

 in the open. In any case they'll have a good day's sport and our friend will 

 know they are hunting a fox. 



What does the supporter of the American hound claim to be the ad- 

 vantages of that hybrid animal ? Better nose ? Granted ; it is so tender 

 that its owner is forever telling us of a line that may be far too old to hunt. 

 More independence ? Granted ; and to such an extent that the average 

 American hound will hunt a cat, or a cur dog, or anything else that crosses 

 its path. English hounds are keen enough if only they are let alone. 

 More speed ? Granted ; for a mile or so till their weak loins and open feet 

 give out. More voice? Granted; to babble with. How else does it aid 

 them, if their huntsman is riding up ? 



We are not going to enumerate the good qualities of the English hound ; 

 it would take too much time. We'll only say this. Four of the packs 

 enumerated in this volume — packs whose owners have gone to quite a bit 

 of expense to get the best — use pure-blooded English hounds. All four 

 Masters and their huntsmen agree on one pomt — i. e. that in order to get 



