234 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



was no advance he would, in accordance with Mr. 

 Piatt's wishes, knock them down at that price, which was 

 done. Twenty-three couples of dog hounds were then 

 put up, eleven couples of the younger hounds fetching 

 i8i gs., Mr. Merrick giving 95 gs. for three couples. 



To-day the Rugby Hound Sales, which are held 

 every year by Messrs. Tattersall, have become a feature 

 in the hunting world, but of course everything must 

 have a beginning, and in the Field of April 30, 1881, 

 the following paragraph appeared : — 



Many masters of hounds having found it almost impos- 

 sible to get rid of their drafts privately asked Messrs. 

 Tattersall to hold a sale at Rugby. We cannot speak too 

 highly of the accommodation and arrangements, and both 

 masters and huntsmen agreed that they never saw so good 

 a place for a hound sale. There were 120 couples of fox- 

 hounds from many good packs in the catalogue, and . . . 

 hopes were entertained that a few foreigners would put in 

 an appearance. Mr. Pain began business before a small 

 audience, and there were very few buyers even at the low 

 prices. It is something to say, however, that every lot of 

 the foxhounds was sold, much to the relief of the masters 

 present, and the huntsmen who were with them. . . . Messrs. 

 Tattersall should continue this sale, as when times improve 

 and it gets known abroad, it is sure to be a great con- 

 venience to both buyers and sellers of hounds. 



In May, 1884, Messrs. Tattersall sold the East Sussex 

 at Rugby for 830 gs., while twenty couples of the 

 Pytchley realised over 550 gs., but in the following 

 September some remarkably low prices were recorded. 

 On this occasion Messrs. Walton and Lee sold the 

 Haydon hounds at Grove Park, Kingsbury, owing to 

 the retirement of the late Mr. Nicholas Maughan. In 

 the dim twilight twenty-one couples of hounds were 

 brought out, and it was said '*on looking round the 

 now scanty ring of spectators there was only one 

 gentleman who had any more use for a hound than for 



