65 



straight leg and are regardless of whether the straight 

 line is continued upward to where the point of the 

 shoulder enters the back ; whilst others again refuse 

 to have anything in the kennel that has not well-sloped 

 shoulders and the free movement of the same. 



If a man is taking over a country and is going to hunt 

 hounds himself, you must allow him to choose the sort 

 which he considers most suitable for the purpose. 

 To bind him down to hunting the pack belonging to 

 the country against his wishes, would only mean 

 that in a few years, by drafts and breeding he would 

 have converted the original foundation to his own ideas. 

 Whether those ideas are right or wrong for showing 

 sport can only be proved by time, but it is possible the 

 country might find their pack reduced in value from 

 pounds to shillings without any numerical loss. The 

 man who is responsible for a pack losing in value should 

 be made to bear that pecuniary loss, and in the same way 

 the one who improves should reap the benefit thereof. 



These remarks are meant more or less to apply to 

 provincial countries where the master usually acts as 

 huntsman. In fashionable grass countries, where sub- 

 scriptions are on a large scale, things are altogether 

 different. A professional huntsman is almost a 

 necessity and the master has his hands full in con- 

 troUing the field. The latter has a thankless task and 

 has to pay heavily for the privilege. 



The day has not yet come, but is not far distant when 

 these fashionable countries will appoint paid masters. 

 The work entailed is very heavy, both in the hunting 

 season, and in the summer, so that a really conscientious 

 master is tied to the country the whole year round with 

 very few chances of getting away. However keen a 

 man may be it is asking over much to expect him to 



