THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 75 



from these places as they did in the better country, and 

 he was strongly inclined to think that the good runs 

 from bad places were caused by the fact that when scent 

 was really first rate, and he found a fox in a wildish 

 country, where there was no one to head it, and only a 

 small following, both fox and hounds had a better 

 chance. 



And as regards the bad places, or places of bad 

 reputation in any hunt, it must be remembered that on 

 some few days of each season scent is first rate. On 

 some small number of days hounds fly when a fox is 

 before them ; on a fair number of days they hunt at a 

 steady holding pace ; and on many other days they can 

 hardly own a line. Well, it is just as likely that one of 

 these exceptional scenting days may be forthcoming 

 when the unpopular meet is due, and then it happens 

 that those who stay away because they dislike the covert, 

 and do not like the surrounding country, may easily 

 miss the run of the season. Many readers of Surtees' 

 works will remember that in Hawhick Grange Mr. 

 Neville's hounds had a great run from the Chase, and 

 how "great Major Rasher, with a mouthful of mous- 

 tache," tried to explain on the mess table by the aid of 

 spoons, forks, and plates that such a thing was impos- 

 sible. 



One of the longest and best hunts we ever saw took 

 place from a covert which had a bad name. It was in 

 the Ledbury country, during the mastership of Mr. 

 Charles Morrell, and was after a long frost. Hounds 

 were advertised for this big wood, on the first open day, 

 and at that time the covert in question had so moderate 

 a reputation that there was invariably a small field when 

 hounds met there. Memory, or rather want of memory, 

 will not allow of the name of the wood being given, but 



