80 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



but being a good fox, and not scent enough to press him, he put his 

 face towards home again, and we lost him not more than two miles 

 from the place where we found. 



I have before ventured to remark, that it seldom happens that 

 hounds are equally good in covert, and out — that " scoring to cry," 

 as we call it, and which is so useful in the one case, being apt to 

 make them wild in the other. Mr. Ward's hounds, from their 

 steadiness, might be compared to highly-broke pointers ; and for this 

 reason, perhaps, might appear slacker in covert than some I have 

 lately hunted with. When out of covert, however, every nose is to 

 the ground, and those who are admirers of cold hunting will here 

 see it to perfection. William Knivert has hunted these hounds for 

 many seasons, but of course I am unable to say much about him. 

 I saw him more than once make his casts in the face of a strong 

 wind, but no doubt he had his reasons for doing so, which I was 

 not aware of. 



On neither of the days I was out with Mr. Ward had we a scent 

 sufficient to enable me to see what pace his hounds can go; but 

 were they fed lighter," no doubt they would be fast enough for the 

 horses that follow them. When, however, we consider Mr. Ward's 

 great weight, we cannot wonder at his, in some measure, regulating 

 his pace accordingly — bearing in mind also, that in great part of his 

 country nose is as much wanting as pace. His servants' horses are 

 useful-looking animals, but perhaps it w^ould be dangerous to go too 

 far into their pedigrees. To all admirers of good hunting, and of 

 the fine form of a fox-hound, Mr. Ward's hounds wall always afford 

 a treat ; and if the eating of the pudding be any proof of its goodness, 

 or the blood of foxes beneficial to fox-hounds, these ought to be 



* On looking at Mr. Ward's pack, any one who is a judge will perceive, that, 

 from the style of hound, they shew flesh more than lighter ones would do, but 

 yet it is evident that they are fed higher than is necessary for their country. 

 The Duke of Grafton's hounds are fed full as high, but they have a different 

 country to deal with. I heard a good anecdote on feeding hounds, which was 

 told of an old gentleman who kept a pack of harriers not an hundred miles from 

 Newbury. Just before he went out one morning, he asked his huntsman if the 

 hounds had been fed ? " Fed, Sir ! " said the huntsman : " you would not feed 

 them now, would you?" — "Oh, yes," said the owner: "give them some 

 breakfast, John ! How would you like to go a hunting all day without your 

 breakfast? " The old gentleman was, no doubt, fond of hunting. 



