FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



they return to kennels they can generally be 

 trusted. There are times, however, when even 

 the older hounds show a tendency to riot, es- 

 pecially if they happen to be a bit above them- 

 selves, or the weather is rough and windy. The 

 average fell hound does his three days a week and 

 sometimes four during the regular season, and in 

 early spring he may do five or even six days if 

 the foxes are troubling the lambs. As far as a 

 tendency to riot among sheep is concerned hounds 

 are much better to be in real hard work than too 

 fresh and " kittle." It takes a mighty lot of 

 work to kill a well-bred hound, and it is there- 

 fore better to risk over- working him than run the 

 chance of having to foot a heavy bill for mutton. 

 Hounds are like human beings in some respects, 

 and may suddenly " turn queer " for no apparent 

 reason. We know of an instance where one of 

 the best working hounds in a pack suddenly took 

 to running riot, finally ending up by pulling 

 down a sheep. This hound had been accidentally 

 hit over the head with a stick, and there is no 

 doubt that the blow affected its brain, with the 

 result above mentioned, for prior to the accident 

 the hound was a capital worker and absolutely 

 true to fox. 



Deer are always a great temptation to fox- 

 hounds, especially in big woodlands, although 

 hounds soon learn to disregard them and stick to 

 the line of their legitimate quarry. The Ulls- 

 water is probably unique in one respect, inas- 

 much as it is the only pack in Great Britain whose 

 country includes a recognised deer forest. The 

 forest of Martindale, owned by the squire of Dale- 

 main, and now leased by Lord Lonsdale, whose 

 own ground practically surrounds it, is one of the 



176 



