126 The Fox Terrier. 



was more than a smooth-coated modern fox terrier could 

 stand. A little dog I had, Tom Firr by name, so-called 

 after that well-known huntsman, and because the terrier's 

 dam was Spruce, was well tried ; he ran with the Kendal 

 Otter Hounds at least two seasons, and kennelled with them 

 too. The cold streams of the north, running for the most 

 part over and through limestone, were too much for 

 him at times ; and, though an extraordinary, sturdily- 

 made, great-boned little fellow, he had often to be carried 

 at the end of a hard day. He was keen, too keen, for 

 he would swim with the hounds like one of themselves, 

 and was, perhaps, knocked up when his proper duties were 

 only about being required. 



All terriers should be kept in a leash whilst hounds are 

 running, and their strength reserved until the time comes 

 for them to go to ground. They may have hard work to 

 drive a fox, certainly such is before them if the otter has 

 reached his stronghold. The otter, too, requires more 

 than barking and baiting to drive him, and I have had 

 smooth terriers that would stay with an otter till the roll- 

 call, baying him all the time and showing his whereabout, 

 but never fighting him and driving their antagonist into the 

 open. Tom Firr, just alluded to, was quite five hours at 

 an otter under a harbour of roots, the only terrier out with 

 hounds that day that would really go to ground. There he 

 yelped and barked himself hoarse, and, do what the hunters 

 could, the otter would not budge — even jumping on the 

 ground overhead was not sufficient to stir him. Then 

 a messenger was sent a distance of four miles or more for 

 another terrier, which, arriving fresh on the scene, in due 

 course, sniffed into the hole, waggled his tail, went out of 

 sight, and in five minutes a great otter bolted, both terriers, 



