ON DISTEMPER AND MADNESS AMONG HOUNDS. 131 



after his hour and twenty minutes over the open, 

 knowing what is happening as well as I do, or 

 quietly bearing me at a trot or canter up or down 

 the rides to meet the surging cry, and to be ready 

 to let me dismount and pick up the fox from his, 

 I am happy to say, speedy death assigned to him 

 by the furious grasp of forty jaws. 



These were ^^ merry days in the good green 

 wood," and I am thankful for having enjoyed so 

 many, and to have been continued even to the 

 present hour in sufficient health and strength, dis- 

 crimination and gratitude, to love the horse and 

 hound, and to write, if I cannot ride as I used to 

 do, in the service of those creatures . through whom 

 and with whom I have passed the happiest portion 

 of my sportsman's life ! 



As this chapter commenced with an allusion to 

 the uncalled-for destruction of the hounds in the 

 Durham Kennels, arrived at as their destruction 

 was under very timid and erroneous advice, I find 

 that it will be absolutely necessary for me to dedi- 

 cate a future chapter to what is vulgarly called 

 ^^ rabies," classed by those who really know nothing 

 of the matter as having to do with, or being the 



commencement of, hydrophobia. 



k2 



