84 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



minds, that although nearly half a century has 

 passed over our head since its first perusal, we 

 believe v^e might repeat without much trouble 

 every line of it. When nicely recited by an inte- 

 resting youth, fully impressed with the romantic 

 incidents connected with it, the story possesses 

 great interest ; but few would have patience to 

 hear a stupid boy hammering away at some hard 

 words and making bad shots at others. 



Few wish to be present at the schooling of 

 young foxhounds, which is, candidly speaking, wevy 

 uninteresting, dull work, except to masters ; and 

 many of these shirk this part of the business alto- 

 gether, leaving it in the hands of huntsmen and 

 whips to get the entry tolerably perfect in their 

 lessons, before performing in the presence of their 

 betters. It was our practice to draw out so many 

 of our old brood-bitches and dog-hounds becoming 

 slow, to form with the entry a pack of themselves, 

 wherewith to commence the cub-hunting season — 

 an equal number of each, if possible — and let them 

 work together up to the end of October. A draft 

 was then made of the young which had gone amiss 

 and the old not able to run up. Where the kennel 

 is not considered sufficiently large to admit of this 

 arrangement, a few young hounds are put into the 

 pack at a time, until all have learnt their first 

 lesson and comprehended the game they are to 

 pursue. Rarely, however, have we seen a pack so 

 managed to be thoroughly steady. The young, by 

 running riot at first — which they certainly will do 

 ■ — unsettle the one-season hunters, and a hullabaloo. 



