3a The Sedgefield Country 



illness from participating in any of this sport, but Dowdes- 

 well, whom I have heard described as one of the " galloping, 

 jumping and shouting sort, always in front of his hounds," 

 never showed to better advantage as a huntsman ; whatever 

 his faults in the field, it redounded greatly to his credit to 

 show such extraordinary sport with a comparatively scratch 

 pack of hounds, the improvement they had made in twelve 

 months being due entirely to himself. One thing is certain, 

 that, however moderate his horse, no country was too big 

 for him ; fall or no fall he would be over or through, and a 

 finer horseman, on a really indifferent hunter, perhaps never 

 crossed a country ; he possessed the knack of making his 

 mount, however bad, do his absolute best, and would 

 confidently tackle a fairly stiff bit of country on a horse 

 that most men would have declined to ride over a sheep 

 tray ! Unknown to him were the words, when mounted on 

 " Blueskin "— 



" Even in a hero's heart 

 Discretion is the better part." 



His voice, like "John Peel's," was loud enough to "awaken 

 the dead ! " 



It is pleasant to be able to record very fine sport also 

 with the North Durham about this time, the life of their 

 pack being also of but twelve months' duration ; proof that 

 with care, knowledge, and unremitting attention on the part 

 of those in charge, a pack of hounds can be collected, and 

 made to work together, and show the best of sport in much 

 less time than anyone, without such data upon which to 

 form an opinion, would possibly imagine. On the 10th Feb- 

 ruary, from Stoney Gate, the North Durham had a grand 

 twenty-five minutes, ending with blood. On the 12th, when 

 they met at Witton Gilbert, they had another fine run of 

 the same duration ; " as fast as ever was ridden to," says 



