48 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



ture, sleeping under a hay-mow or corn-stack 

 through all weather, must strike any unprejudiced 

 person as most likely to produce that result which 

 masters and huntsmen are most anxious to steer 

 clear of — distemper in its most virulent phase. 



We know it is no very pleasant occupation, 

 having a lot of young awkward animals, like raw 

 recruits, pulling and hauling you about and getting 

 between your legs, before they have been drilled 

 into something like order, and taught to keep step 

 with each other ; yet as this must be done, sooner 

 or later, the sooner this preliminary lesson has been 

 gone through the better. To save a good deal of 

 this pulling and hauling about, the couples may first 

 be put on them in the green-yard, for an hour or 

 two in the morning and afternoon ; but they must 

 never be left for a moment out of the feeder's or 

 huntsman's sight, when so coupled, or accidents to 

 life or limb may follow, from getting entangled with 

 each other, and a valuable young hound may soon 

 be choked or have his leg broken. 



Another precaution is also necessary — that the 

 collars are not too tightly buckled. Some hunts- 

 men couple an old hound with a J^oung one — a bad 

 practice, since the old gentlemen or ladies, not 

 relishing the idea of turning bear-leaders in their 

 old age, vent their indignation upon their awkward 

 yoke-fellows by biting or rolling them over. We 

 prefer keeping the young ones by themselves, join- 

 ing two of the same height and strength together, 

 so that the pulling on both sides be about even. 

 At first they will, of course, turn fractious or sulky, 



