ROWLAND HUNT AND HIS SUCCESSORS, 39 



ever attained before, and left the foundations of an excellent 

 kennel of hounds. Some of them, as will be seen from the photo- 

 graph, were somewhat weak below the knees. But it must be 

 remembered that careful breeding had not yet brought the 

 beagle to the standard of to-day. The sport showed was in 

 every way wonderful. The accounts of his runs in the Beagle 

 Book are very entertaining, and his language was as varied as it 

 was appropriate. Some of his best runs are worth quoting. 

 There were so many good ones that selection is difficult. Here 

 are a few : 



'' Thursday, March SOth. The meet was Dorney Gate. We 

 soon found to the left and ran slowly for about a hundred yards, 

 when they settled fairly to her, and positively raced as hard as 

 they could lay legs to the ground to the river. Then, turning 

 to the right, they ran through Taplow Spinney (they had run so 

 fast that only Hunt and Bigge, who had got a good start, were 

 anywhere near them). Then they ran on without dwelling for 

 an instant, and bearing to the left and then to the right they 

 skirted Dorney Village, leaving it on the left, and on nearly to 

 Dorney Gate, where they caught sight of her, and so, instead 

 of returning to her form, she made for some haystacks of Mr. 

 White's, but being routed out of there she made her last effort 

 in the open. But Harmony was too much for her and she was 

 pulled down in the open, after having been run in view for a 

 good half mile. Mr. Fellowes was very quick in getting the hare 

 from the hounds, for which the Master is much obliged. Time, 

 49 minutes; distance, 7 miles." 



The run that follows is typical of Hunt's language : 



'* We found again after a short time and ran like old 

 gooseberry up to Dorney Village, where she tried to enter a 

 garden, but there being no entrance she turned round and made 

 for the G.W.R., which she skirted almost down to that 

 interesting public called Botham's, where she turned sharp round 

 and made back again to her form. But we had to whip off as 

 it was getting very late. Time, 55 minutes. Having to whip 

 off so many times plays Old Nick with us, but it can't be helped." 



Here is an unfortunate incident recorded : 



" Just after the beginning of the run, we are sorry to say 

 that Mr. Douglas came a real imperial cropper in charging in hi^ 

 usual determined way a very high stiff piece of timber wdth a 

 huge ditch on the other side. He was so badly hurt that he had 

 to be taken home in a fly. Hunt only managed to get over the 

 fence by landing on his head on the other side, so it was 

 * rather a stinker.' " 



