12 THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 



the huntsman's off stirrup, and Valentine 

 does precisely the same. There's Graceful, a 

 bitch in the next court — she invariably is the 

 first home and the last to covert, and her 

 mother did the like before her." 



*' That appears to be innate laziness," I 

 observed. ^ 



" No," replied Trimbush. " So far from 

 that being the case, there never were better 

 working hounds on earth." 



" Then how do you account for it? " 

 inquired I. 



* * There are many things, ' ' returned Trim- 

 bush, with the air of a philosopher, " as clear 

 to our vision as the sunshine at noon, and yet 

 their causes are hid in impenetrable darkness. 

 I cannot," continued he, " tell why Graceful 

 and Valentine should inherit the eccentrici- 

 ties of their parents, but only see that they do 

 so. 



*' Are these the only two instances coming 

 under your observation? " I asked. 



"By no means," replied my companion. 

 ** I could recite a dozen others of a similar 

 nature, but I fear they might prove weari- 

 some. You see that badger-pied hound 

 amusing himself by snapping at the flies 



