122 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



"No/" was our reply. 



" May I ask the reason why you have not ? " 



" Certainly : he is rather too free with his 

 tongue/' 



"In other words, I suppose he is noisy ?" 



" No, not that exactly, or you would not have 

 seen him in our kennel ; but he speaks twice when 

 once would have been sufficient. That is his only 

 fault : in every other respect Freeman is nearly per- 

 fection — draws well and quickly, runs hard, hunts 

 the lowest scent.'" 



"By Jove!" he exclaimed, "that hound is just 

 the thing for our flints and fallows ; but I should 

 like to see how he works. Will you sell him ? " 



" No,'' we replied ; " but as you have taken such 

 a fancy to Freeman, he can go back to your kennel 

 when Dick Burton comes down for the ladies he has 

 left here during this frost." 



With many thanks the Squire took his leave, and 

 at parting we said, " Now, bear in mind, we advise 

 you not to breed from that hound, much as you 

 will like him in his work, for although not noisy 

 now, yet he will be so two years hence, if he lives 

 so long." 



The Squire gave us a look, which we understood 

 by the twinkle of his eye as tantamount to teach- 

 ing grandmammas or grandpapas how to suck eggs. 

 Well, Freeman went to the Tedworth kennels, and 

 soon after we received a letter from the Squire, eulo- 

 gizing his performances, and concluding thus : — 

 " Notwithstanding your caution, I like Freeman so 

 much, that I have put him already to two of my 



