A Day With Lord Rothschild's Staghounds 181 



When they are finally brought to bay at the close of the chase, 

 they are secured by ropes or driven into a near-by staole, from 

 which they are again forced into the cart. They are returned 

 to the paddock to wait their turn to lead the chase again. 



Xow we come to the celebrated heavy weight hunters, for it 

 must be remembered that INIr. Leopold de Rothschild rides at 

 sometliing over fifteen stone or two hundred and twenty-five 

 pounds. Tliis means that it requires a good horse to carry 

 liim. 



Nearly all the hunters have been Irish bred and have been 

 selected ^\ith great care and at prices consistent with the weight 

 they have to carrj^ as well as their ability beyond question to 

 carry their owner over some of the stiff est jumping country in 

 that part of England. It is doubtful if there can be found in 

 any other one stud in England so many thoroughly qualified 

 heavy weight hunters. There were probably a score of them 

 that would weigh twelve hundred pounds and over, with bone 

 enough for cart horses, and still with quality such as one only 

 finds in the Irish hunter of such great size. While many of 

 them were a bit rough and ragged about the liips, also a char- 

 acteristic of the Irish hunter, they were exceedingly muscular. 

 There was not what might be called a short-backed horse in 

 the string. 



"Must have length to get on," said the groom, "and a horse 

 to keep with his Lordship's staghounds over grass must keep 

 moving." 



After a look through the racing stables, we repaired to the 

 manor house through one of the most lovely, old-fashioned, 

 formal gardens in England. The house itself is a dream of 

 beauty and a joy to all beholders. 



It was New Year's Eve in London. It was a day that even 

 a Londoner, who seldom sees the sun in ^\inter, calls "beastly." 

 The lamps in the street had been burning •\\ith a sallow light 



