30 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



resolute at their work as possible ; to effect that, I always gave 

 them a deer that was killed in the chase, the same as if they had 

 killed a fox. The whole time that I kept hounds almost all of 

 them had by-names or nicknames, when I chose to play with 

 them in their kennels or out at exercise. We often used to 

 have a game at romps, till they all learned my humour, and 

 were as sensible and as attached as parlour dogs. I had in my 

 stag-hunting kennel two hounds, that came from Mr. Villebois 

 to me as puppies, named Bachelor and Blunder. Both were 

 good hounds, but Blunder was super-excellent. From our games 

 at play I had taught Blunder to know Bachelor by name ; my 

 brother Moreton had aided in this ; and if, in going to the place 

 of meeting, along the road, or in returning after the chase was 

 over, we said, in a peculiar tone of voice, and pronouncing the 

 words as I now spell them, " He Bunner, where's Batchelder ? " 

 Blunder would go in and out the pack to find his brother, push 

 his ear with his nose, and growl at him. 



When by any accident a deer was lost and water always 

 had to do with such a defeat I have seen Blunder swim into a 

 strong stream, and quest with his nose every stick, weed, or 

 mass of froth that came downwards ; and when there has been 

 none of these, he would try every bough that hung over and 

 touched the water, just as my bloodhound will do now when 

 trying for a deer in the forest, running his nose against and 

 over the twigs that might have brushed a deer's back. If 

 Blunder found any indication of the deer's being above, he 

 would land, and gallop up the side of the river for some distance, 

 and occasionally cross from side to side to assure himself that 

 the deer had not gone away. Nothing could be more perfect 

 than Blunder was in every phase of his duty. His portrait by 

 Cooper was published at the time in the New Sporting Maga- 

 zine. The deer sent from Berkeley Castle were splendid animals 

 for the purpose, and so were those from Hampstead Lodge, 

 given me by the late Lord Craven. Some of Lord Craven's 

 deer got out of the park, and lay in Lord Carnarvon's woods ; 

 and to catch them I borrowed some bloodhounds, or what were 



