208 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



to fifteen inches — larger or smaller — according to the country 

 to be hunted over; the speed of the hounds depending some- 

 what on their size. Fifteen or even eighteen inch harriers 

 might be no faster in a country where there was much land 

 under cultivation than twelve inch harriers in a level pasture 

 and meadow country. 



The hounds of the new school are much faster. They are 

 mostly cross-bred dogs between harriers and foxhounds, where- 

 in the harrier blood is retained for its more melodious voice 

 and freedom of tongue, while the foxhound blood is looked to 

 for greater pace. These hounds range from fifteen to sixteen 

 inches. 



Then again there is what might be called the High Church 

 branch of the new school, where the hounds are out and 

 out pure-bred foxhounds — undersized drafts from foxhound 

 packs. These hounds being so much faster than the old 

 English harriers, put their game to flight, and as the old school 

 hunters say, race her to death in a run of fifteen to twenty 

 minutes without giving her a chance to practise her arts of 

 self-preservation. Then they go on killing as many more as 

 they can in a day. This the old school denounces as taking 

 an undue advantage of puss, and can not be looked upon as 

 thoroughly sportsmanlike. Hounds for this class of hunting 

 we believe are from eighteen to twenty-two inches. 



It has been the writer's good fortune to study the game 

 from the standpoint of both the old school and the new, and 

 he unhesitatingly casts his lot with the former. Although 

 no one enjoys a smart gallop cross country better, he loves 

 best of all the hunting part of the game. 



To sit a nicely mannered horse, or stout pony with a bit of 

 a gallop in him, with a few jumps to negotiate now and again, 

 to keep in the same field with the chase and to watch both the 

 pursued and the pursuers, to be in possession of the tricks puss 

 is playing on the hounds, and the secret of her hiding place, to 



