ROE-DEER SHOOTING. 77 



as I can recollect. Different sportsmen have different 

 ideas as to the best breed of hound, and much depends 

 upon the nature of the coverts. When they are really 

 forests a large hound is necessary, and the process is a 

 little tedious, because the hounds take the game right 

 away, and sometimes do not return for an hour or 

 more. The best sport is enjoyed in coverts of a 

 hundred acres or so. Long prices are paid for dogs 

 which combine the qualities of drawing wide and 

 hunting far enough, but not too far. The usual breed 

 is a variety of our beagle- harrier, but I prefer the 

 dachshund. I may at once add that I do not believe 

 any English dachshund would do for the purpose. I 

 have never known one with nearly enough music. It 

 is a difficulty to get a dachshund to draw far enough 

 away from the gun, but many will do it, and I have 

 one with as deep a note as any southern hound. I do 

 not believe, however, that these very deep-voiced 

 dachshunds are ever much good underground, but one 

 cannot have every quality combined in one dog. 

 Given then the properly qualified hounds, the sports- 

 man, or sportsmen, go quietly into the wood and take 

 up their places where experience proves the game 

 most frequently passes. The dogs are then slipped, 

 and not only do they draw the covert immediately 

 round their master, but a good dog will draw the entire 

 wood blank before returning to the gun. If he finds 

 anything he pursues it with plenty of tongue. The 

 best dogs are those which follow it up long enough but 

 not too long say half to three-quarters of an hour. 

 In this time, if they are well posted, the game should 



