172 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



In speaking of coursing, I must relate a curious accident 

 that happened to Mr. Goodlake, lamented by us all at the 

 time, but which ultimately proved a public benefit. It chanced 

 that the port wine and the ink put by the side of his plate 

 after dinner, were, as I have said before, precisely of the same 

 hue, and in the same sized wine-glass. Mr. Goodlake was lay- 

 ing down the law, as his great experience in matters of the 

 leash entitles him to do, when, on wishing to wash down his last 

 clause with a glass of port, he took up the wrong beaker and 

 bolted the ink. Great was the spluttering, great the consterna- 

 tion among surrounding friends ; but the ink was down and no 

 blotting paper, even were an arm-chair or his dressing-gown to 

 be lined with it, could absorb the black draught, and, at the 

 risk of dreaming of a printer's devil, on his ink to bed Mr. 

 Goodlake was obliged to go. Little did we think what an 

 effect this accident would produce, and how fortunate for the 

 elucidation of the mysteries of the leash. For a time, perhaps, 

 the patient was restless, and showed a considerable degree of 

 uneasiness in the presence of Johnson's Dictionary; but at 

 last, after many throes, we were all delighted and enlightened 

 by the ink coming out in two volumes, on Coursing, under Mr. 

 Goodlake's hand ! 



In spite of the information contained in those erudite books, 

 if I am to govern my opinion by the conduct of judges of the 

 field, there is a considerable deal yet more to be learned in the 

 decision on courses. Thus, when two greyhounds are running 

 a match, the one being much faster than the other, and the fast 

 one leading and holding the hare in check, it is not a " go-by,"" 

 in the approved acceptation of that term, if the hindmost dog 

 passes the other like a shot and turns the hare. For this 

 reason the greyhound that had been leading had the hare in 

 check, neither going at the top of their speed, because the hare 

 was gathered up to turn at the expected lunge of the leading 

 dog, and the dog finding she was about to turn was also to a 

 certain extent on its haunches expecting it, therefore these two 

 being in that position, a sheep-dog, had he joined in the run, 



