122 THE ETON COLLEGE HUNT. 



height of the Eton Beagles." (2) ''That the standard should 

 be fixed with a view to showing as much sport to their followers 

 as possible in the limited number of hours at their disposal." 

 (3) ''That the matter should be thoroughly thrashed out, and 

 that it should not be in the power of succeeding Masters to 

 change either the standard of height or type fixed for their 

 benefit by their predecessors on due consideration. 



Having disposed of all last year's pack I have bought an 

 entirely new pack of hounds, 15^ inches and very level. Though 

 some hounds are rather lacking in good looks, the pack in itself 

 are a level lot, and very good workers. As we hope to have the 

 new kennels, a very great improvement will be made, namely 

 " walk " will be done away with. It is impossible to have a good 

 pack, i.e. a pack that works well together, and several new 

 hounds, drafts from other packs, bought, and for the remaining 

 ten months are at walk, which in several cases means that a boy 

 at the College takes them home, and gets his moneyworth out 

 of them by hunting drags, rabbits and sometimes hares ; and in 

 other cases they are taken home, forgotten, neglected, and sent 

 back in January, so as to hunt at once, in a most disgraceful 

 condition. Can this pack, then, be expected to hunt when they 

 are all collected as well as a pack kept and hunted from year to 

 year, doing daily exercise in the summer, and good fifteen miles' 

 road exercise three days a week in October, November and 

 December, with, if possible, an occasional hunt in between ? 



And therefore a pack, 16 inches, having been hunted year by 

 year together, and got fit and properly kept, will go far faster 

 than a pack straying for 50 yards or so, with a hound 20 yards 

 or so ahead of the rest, etc., of 18, 17, 16, 15 and 14 inch 

 hounds. These heights are no exaggeration, one year there 

 being two hounds 19 J and two 12 inches. And if " walk " 

 continues, these heights must be varied like this, as it is 

 impossible to get a level pack in January. 



Now we will suppose that the hounds are kept in their kennels 

 always throughout the summer ; then the new Master can be 

 with his hounds all the summer and good blood can be got in the 

 pack by sending bitches to well-known beagle packs, and in time 

 a very good strain could be got. All the puppies would be sent 

 out to walk till they are twelve months old and fit to join the 

 pack. I don't think there would be any difficulty in finding 

 either boys or farmers to walk the puppies, and a small challenge 

 cup could be given, as in other packs, for the hound best walked. 

 Thus a good entry could be made, and the old hounds drafted. 

 Of course, to get a good and well-bred pack would take about 



