104 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



hounds. The place of meeting was Chudleigh rocks — ahout a mile 

 from Chudleigh — the scenery of which was romantic and beautiful, 

 and they would answer all the purposes of the Tarpeian rock. There 

 was no fox there ; but we had a beautiful find in an adjoining covert, 

 and ran our fox, with only half a scent, to ground. We then turned 

 out a brace of bag-men, and took them both unhurt before the pack. 

 In consideration of the time of the year, the heat of the day, and a 

 bad scent — in addition to Mr. Templer having met with an accident 

 which rendered it very painful to him to ride — the foxes turned out 

 were not of a flying sort, so that the chases were short, though 

 sufficient to show the nature of the system, which to me was quite 

 unique. 



I should have been in Devonshire one year sooner to have seen 

 this system to perfection, the present being a young pack, just 

 formed ; and though, as might be expected, not quite so perfect in 

 their discipline as the old one which Mr. Templer sold last year, yet 

 their performance was very much to their credit. The foxes were 

 turned out not twenty yards from them, but they scarcely stirred 

 until Mr. Templer gave the word of command ; or until he " bade 

 them to the chase," which was by the last of three signals. In the 

 old pack there was one hound that never looked at the fox, but 

 always kept his eye on Mr. Templer, and when the last signal was 

 given, he w^as off. 



The most curious part of Mr. Templer's establishment is his 

 method of keeping his foxes. He has nearly thirty brace of cubs 

 and old ones, many of the latter of which he has had for some time ; 

 and, strange to say, there is one, called " The Bold Dragoon," which 

 has been hunted six-and-thirty times — often affording most excellent 

 runs ! What is also most extraordinary, when he comes home at 

 night, after the sport of the day, he never goes into his kennel with- 

 out taking his supper with him, which always awaits his arrival. 

 It consists of half a rabbit and some kennel meat, without flesh ; or, 

 in default of the rabbit, a small portion of flesh. The Bold Dragoon 

 is a strong dark-colored fox of the greyhound kind, and does not 

 appear to have lost any of his natural character. 



Mr. Templer's old foxes are kept in two large yards, in which 

 their kennels — the same as we use for pointers — are placed ; and 



