92 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



hounds drew three small coverts blank, every hound 

 beinji: intent on trying to find his fox. Mr. Osbaldeston 

 spoke to them but little when in covert. In strong 

 gorse he went in with them himself, and spaniels could 

 not have done their work more satisfactorily. 



As to their steadiness from hare, I could form no 

 opmion ; for I did not see more than three during the 

 whole of my sojourn in Leicestershire. On entering 

 Shangton Holt a hound almost immediately challenged, 

 and a fox, without any pressing gallantry, broke in the 

 direction of Rollestone, when being headed short back 

 about a mile from where he was found, turned up 

 wind and skirting Shangton Holt, was lost, after a 

 very pretty burst of twenty-nine minutes, at Kibworth. 

 The first twenty-five minutes was without a check, 

 excepting momentarily at the point where he was 

 headed, but asi he was viewed no time was lost. The 

 pace was fast, and the distance six miles. I will not 

 enumerate the runs which my diary affords me an 

 opportunity of doing ; for, unless some particular events 

 had occurred, details of them would be uninteresting, 

 especially after a lapse of years. 



In the difficult art of breeding hounds, it is 

 universally admitted that Mr. Osbaldeston had no 

 superior, and their condition was equally perfect ; their 

 stoutness, in a great measure the result of condition, 

 was pre-eminently good. As they hunted six days in 

 the week, meeting at half-past ten o'clock, and often 

 having long days, neither Mr. Osbaldeston nor the first 

 whip could devote their attention to the feeding 

 department ; they must have been entrusted to the 

 kennel-man, upon whom a vast deal of the condition of 

 a pack depends, but not all. Good sound constitutions 

 are necessary to begin with, and plenty of strong 

 exercise, or work, in due season, to complete the 

 desideratum. 



The favourite stud hound in the Squire's kennel was 

 Furrier, by the Belvoir Saladin out of Mr. Osbaldeston 's 

 Fallacy, entered in 1821 ; and in the year 1829, at which 



