122 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



belonging to the late Mr. Neville, of Chilland, 

 near Winchester, who was accustomed to 

 hunt tame sta^s with them, but often also used 

 them as harriers. Though unfortunately de- 

 formed at birth, Mr. Neville contrived to hunt 

 under grave difficulties, and had a marvellous 

 command over animals, to every species of which 

 he was devotedly attached. He may not always 

 have been strictly orthodox in the management 

 of his pack, but there was always an under- 

 current of common sense in all that he did ; 

 and in giving occasional raw meat to his hounds, 

 which at that time was regarded as the act almost 

 of a madman, he but anticipated the teaching of 

 veterinary science up-to-date in the treatment of 

 eczema. Those who were privileged to hunt 

 with him will remember how a certain deer 

 used to live in the same paddock with the 

 hounds ; and how, after giving a good run, the 

 stag would trot amicably home in the middle 

 of the pack, not far from Mr. Neville's stirrup- 

 leather. The numerous schoolgirls and lady- 

 telegraph-clerks who signed the notorious peti- 

 tion against the Royal Buckhounds might well 

 consider this aspect of the case ! A picture in 

 oils of the above " Return from the Chase," of 

 which Mr. Neville was very proud, used to hang 

 in his dining-room. At another period he had 

 a tame jackal, which was accustomed to lie on 

 the hearthrug in front of the drawing-room fire, 

 and go out exercising with the pack, yet they 

 ran it with zest when its turn came to give a run, 

 on which occasion the jackal invariably made 

 straight for home, no matter where it was turned 

 out. 



Mr. Neville more than once told me how he 



