HELPFUL SPLASHES OF WHITE 133 



the heather in bold relief. I reared one hound which 

 had been drafted to those regions on account of his 

 great size ; he was a dark-coloured hound, and, though 

 I took great interest in his proceedings, he was very- 

 difficult to distinguish, and, alas ! when found, he was 

 by no means "running at head." Two years ago a 

 well-known and enthusiastic young amateur hunts- 

 man excited great surprise by making public his 

 endeavour to get together a pack of " badger or hare- 

 pied hounds or those of a light colour." He knew 

 what he was about, however, and was going to hunt 

 a rough country, and, as I dislike wearing glasses 

 out of doors, my entire sympathy was with him in 

 his endeavour. I hunted a good deal not very long 

 ago with a pack in which the fashionable dark 

 colours predominated ; I fear they were not a very 

 first-class pack, but in a certain part of the country 

 1 found it so hard to see them that I fairly loved the 

 little spotted lady who led them such a dance among 

 the heather and bracken and low Irish furze ; out 

 of gratitude to her, perhaps, I have penned the above. 



