MARTS AND MART HUNTING 



difficulty in telling which quarry hounds had got 

 on. It was of course essential that hounds should 

 mark properly, for when a foumart went to ground 

 in a big earth, it was impossible to know where 

 to dig unless you had one or two good marking 

 hounds. 



On one occasion the Master of a certain pack ran 

 his foumart to ground, and hounds marked 

 steadily. On digging operations being started 

 the owner of the land appeared on the scene, 

 and asked, ' ' who was going to mend them 

 dykes ? " The Master, feigning deafness, re- 

 plied, " Nay it isn't train time yet ! " The pro- 

 prietor getting annoyed repeated his question, 

 but the Master, putting his hand to his ear, said, 

 ' ' I think we'd be better for a sup o' rain." This 

 went on until the foumart was got out, when 

 hounds rolled him over after a short scurry. 

 The owner of the land was as excited as anybody, 

 and at once forgot his grievance. After the kill, 

 the Master went back to the earth and prepared 

 to mend the fence. The proprietor told him by 

 signs that he need not do this. " But," said 

 the Master, " if I don't do it who's to mend them 

 dykes ? " Looking greatly astonished the land- 

 owner exclaimed, ' ' What, thoo's not deaf then ? " 

 Explanations of course followed, and the Master 

 was cordially invited to come again and have 

 another hunt on some future occasion. 



It was the custom to present the foumart's 

 skin to the poorest man in the Hunt, the value of 

 the pelt being half-a-crown. No doubt at times 

 there was a certain amount of " fratching " as 

 to who was entitled to the honour. Occasionally 

 very long hunts were brought off, and there are 

 records of runs which lasted for seven or eight 

 hours. No doubt the large number of packs 



287 



