FOXHOUNDS 215 



therefore he waited for his servant. No doubt this 

 was a rather extreme case, and it may be put forward 

 that no one should attempt to hunt hounds unless he 

 has mastered these little things, and is prepared to 

 perform the post-mortem rites in legitimate fashion. 

 At the beginning of the season the kill is a most im- 

 portant function, for the young entry have to be blooded, 

 and many young hounds do not take very kindly to 

 breaking up and eating their fox, even though they 

 may have hunted it fairly enough. 



At times one hears both masters and huntsmen 

 complain that otherwise good hounds show very 

 little keenness when the kill has once been accom- 

 plished, and in fact take very little interest in the 

 subsequent proceedings. This is undoubtedly true, 

 and one is inclined to think that if any pack is carefully 

 watched from the moment a fox is killed until they 

 move away after he has been eaten, it will be seen 

 that certain hounds do not go near the centre of 

 interest, and seem to care nothing for blood. On the 

 other hand the majority af the pack will tear their 

 fox to pieces and swallow him up in hearty fashion, 

 as if they thoroughly enjoyed the business. And 

 if all the hounds which appear to take no interest in 

 the kill were slack in their work, it would be a simple 

 matter to draft them, but hounds which can find a 

 fox, which can run at head, and which can put the 

 pack right on a cold scenting day have been known to 

 decline eating fox, and this is a somewhat remarkable 

 thing, which has puzzled many huntsmen in the past. 



But the great question of the day with regard to 

 hounds — of which brief mention has been made a 

 few pages back — is whether the modern hound is lack- 

 ing in scenting powers, compared with his ancestor 



