48 MEMOIR OF THE KILKENNY HUNT. 



began to howl, exclaiming that he found his way to 

 the infernal regions, and to shout that he was being 

 roasted alive, begging Lord Waterford, who had 

 come to the door to inquire how he was, to release 

 him ; and it was not until Lord Waterford had 

 pointed out forcibly to him the heinousness of his 

 offence, and adjured him to make his confession to 

 Sir John Power, that the door was opened, and he 

 emerged in a state easily imagined, and fled home 

 with all possible speed, needless to say without the 

 cubs, which Lord Waterford returned to their proper 

 country. Sir John constructed a great many earths of 

 a very elaborate pattern, and the majority exist still, 

 though some of the coverts in which they were made 

 have been cut down. Some were what he called 

 "decoy earths," made to induce foxes to run certain 

 lines, and as such were successful. 



It has been mentioned that Mick Butler succeeded 

 Caunt as kennel huntsman, and as such he served 

 Sir John, second baronet, whilst hounds were at 

 Sion, proving an excellent man at his work. In 

 the year 1844, a hunting correspondent of the 

 Sportsman's Magazine, under the noni dc phnne of 

 " Brusher," describes how he crossed the Channel to 

 see some Irish kennels. Arriving in Kilkenny by 

 coach, he found his way out to Sion. Sir John, who 

 had lately succeeded his father as second baronet, 

 was at Kilfanc, and Mick Butler was away a-court- 

 ing ! Moreover, the hounds had been dressed the 

 previous day, and he could not, therefore, see the 

 pack to advantage ; but he describes it as " by far 

 the best pack of hounds he had ever seen," notwith- 



