136 Modern Dogs. 



proper person to have the charge of hounds, and, 

 in bringing them along the road, they became 

 terribly riotous, going for pigs, sheep, horses, cattle, 

 birds, deer, and almost everything that moved in 

 front of them. However, in due course the pack 

 arrived at its destination with the loss of only one 

 hound ; and, on being asked what he thought of 

 them, the coachman replied that they were the 

 '' best hounds he ever saw, for they would hunt 

 everything." At the close of last century Colonel 

 Hardy had a pack of beagles which were taken to the 

 meet and to the kennels again, when possible, in a 

 couple of hampers strapped across the back of 

 a pony. It is said that these hounds, kennelled in a 

 barn prior to hunting next day, were stolen there- 

 from ; hampers, horse, and all disappearing, nor was 

 their whereabouts ever discovered. 



'VStonehenge," in '^ Dogs of the British Isles," 

 gives an interesting account of the late Mr. Crane's 

 rabbit beagles, a Dorsetshire pack, which all round 

 has certainly never been excelled for excellence in 

 the field, and beauty on the show bench. '' Idstone," 

 the writer of that article, says : — 



'' He has seen them on a cold, bad scenting day 

 work up a rabbit and run him in the most extra- 

 ordinary manner, and although the nature of the 

 ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian 



