THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS 



the word. Shut the door, and when Prattler is 

 through, fondle him a bit and turn him out into 

 the yard. Thus draw over, one at a time, until 

 all are fed, when the door from the other room 

 into the yard may be opened, and they may 

 return to their sleeping quarters. 



Hounds should be fed twice daily, some light 

 broth or " lap " in the morning , — skim milk may 

 sometimes be had very cheap, — but the hearty 

 meal always at night. It does no harm, after 

 hunting, to have an old broom in your hand 

 when hounds are feeding, and to 'dip this in the 

 broth and sprinkle them well with it. When 

 they return to bench they will then set to and 

 lick themselves and each other all over, the warm 

 tongues forming the best kind of a fomentation 

 for any cuts or bruises they may have sustained. 

 The " sing-song " in which they love to indulge, 

 especially on a frosty, moonlight night, should 

 never be checked, unless too long prolonged, and 

 has always seemed too much of a hymn of 

 thanksgiving for full belly and comfortable bed 

 to be interfered with ; in fact, when they thus 

 "sing" they are doing pretty well bodily. When 

 working, of course, they must be closely watched, 

 and those which are shrinking too fast, worked 



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