HOUNDS 131 



and there is a scent he pays the penalty after a 

 quick but short burst. They have now got 

 hounds so quick and handy, and so are the 

 huntsman and whips, that a fox has no chance of 

 getting the start he requires, and which in fair 

 play he should be allowed to have. 



" People will tell you that you should get away 

 with the hounds on the top of the fox. I say, 

 breed hounds with nose and music. They would 

 then hunt a fox really well, and drive him if there 

 was a scent, and with luck end in a kill after a 

 good hunt, which would well satisfy all except a 

 few hard thrusters. As for the thrusters, I don't 

 suppose they ever were satisfied ; in fact foxes are 

 not fast or strong enough to do so without losing 

 their lives. The pace of hounds has been im- 

 mensely improved, and also the pace of the 

 horses, but it has been forgotten to consider 

 whether foxes could stand this extra pace, for it 

 is, I believe, certain that they have not been 

 improved in the same degree." 



And now let us hear the other side of the ques- 

 tion, from Tom Smith : — 



" Mr. Elsey remarks hounds have been bred too 

 fast, but I don't think so, at least for the require- 

 ments of the present day, for in the shires, and 

 even in this country, with the enormous fields 

 that come out hunting hounds must have pace, 

 and plenty of drive, to keep out of the way of the 

 riders, and a good fox with anything like luck, 

 even with a good scent, will generally manage to 

 stand up before hounds for fifty minutes or more. 



" My opinion about short-running foxes is, that 

 since shooting has come to the pitch it has now, 

 and so many tame pheasants are reared, the old 

 foxes are done away with, and the cubs hand- 



