WITH THE MADRAS HOUNDS. 29 



on from Crick Covert, and hustling happily over the wide 

 double ditches up to Lilbourne Gorse. A chequered career has 

 been his. The Prince remembered him carrying his horn in 

 Norfolk ; afterwards he handled a pack at St. Petersburgh ; 

 then he donned the white collar during Mr. Naylor's Pytchley 

 regime ; next he .took service under Prince Esterhazy ; and 

 now he has pitched his bungalow alongside the kennels of the 

 Madras Hunt. The success and steadiness that have accom- 

 panied him here should do much towards setting him once 

 again at the head of a good pack at home. 



Now let us turn to the hounds. Reader, there is a book 



that I have no hesitation in saying has long been common food 



for you and me at least, if you are a member of that wide 



class of enthusiasts held in bondage glorious by the devouring 



mania of the Chase. If you are not, please turn aside at once 



to other pages ; for here you will read of hunting to the end 



of my chapter ; and you will only vote me a blatant nuisance 



if your sympathies lie not with me. Well, given that you 



understand by what current of feeling one in exile can revert 



at any odd moment to " Jorrocks," -and from him imbibe deep 



draughts of consolation and refreshment, then I may safely 



ask you to recall Mr. Bugginson's contribution of hounds to the 



Handley Cross Hunt. Strange, but true, here is friend 



Jorrocks close at hand ; and it is no difficult matter to dive 



among the well-thumbed pages and turn up any passage 



required. Mr. Pigg observed with much truth, on receipt of 



the precious cargo, " He was warned they'd be good for nout, or 



they wadna ha' parted wi 'em at that time o' year ; " and the 



substance of his remark can scarcely fail to apply in some 



degree to a pack imported complete, and at such a date, from a 



firm whose stock-in-trade is entirely dependent on cast-offs. 



Thus readers will not be surprised, nor I trust will the Madras 



Hunt be scandalised, when they see the term " miscellaneous" 



applied to the pack under notice. Mr. Bugginson's draft are 



described summarily as being made up of "skirters, mute 



runners, and noisy ones, besides a few worn-out old devils that 



