36 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



I have little more to say respecting Mr. Corbet's pack, than that 

 when Lord Middleton purchased them they were in high reputation, 

 as having had a succession of almost unequalled sport, and given 

 unbounded satisfaction to the country they hunted. The speed of 

 Mr. Corbet's hounds was generally too great for nine horses out of 

 ten that followed them, with a good fox and a good scent ; and such 

 were their powers of hunting, that even in their woodland country 

 they would always be backed at even against their fox, and at one 

 time a good deal of money was won upon them at this game. 



A curious circumstance once occurred with this pack, though not 

 without a parallel, as a similar one with the Brighton harriers was 

 recently recorded : they ran a cur-dog an hour, best pace, and killed 

 him/ There was nothing, however, discreditable to them in this, 

 as they were halloo'd away, and cheered on to their gajne, which 

 of course, was mistaken for a fox, and we must acknowledge the cur 

 made a good fight for his life. 



As a master of hounds — a natural accompaniment to the situation 

 — Mr. Corbet's temper was often put to the test ; but a harsh or 

 ungentleman-like expression was never heard to escape him. So 

 far from putting himself out of temper on every little accident or 

 irregularity that might occur, he may be said almost to have fallen 

 into the opposite extreme ; and powerful examples of the command 

 he exercised over himself will be found in the following anecdotes. 



During the latter days of his favorite old Champion, when his 

 powers were on the decline, and he could not run up with the pack, 

 he accidentally got under the horse's feet of a hard-riding friend of 

 mine, and was laid for dead on the ground. Unable to wound the 

 feelings of any man, who, he was aware, would lament the accident 

 equally with himself, all that Mr. Corbet said on the occasion, as he 

 galloped by him, without turning his head, was, " killed the best 

 hound in my pack, thafs all f " I once saw another hound of his 

 ridden over, and killed on the spot, but he did not see it. All the 

 notice he took of this was, to address several of his friends as he 

 rode by them with these words : " they've killed me a favorite 

 hound. Sir; you don't happen to know who did it, do you?" One 

 very laughable scene I was also present at. A gentleman, no great 

 proficient in the art, was caught by him in the act of hunting his 



