HUNTING 205 



Of course, from the day that the pack was 

 started on an established footing, nothing but 

 unentered hounds were taken into it. A hound 

 that had even hunted, still more had attended 

 the funeral of a single fox, was scrupulously 

 rejected. 



In a very short time my anticipations as to 

 the sport of the New Forest were realised to 

 the full. In about two years a capital pack of 

 working hounds had been got together. Naturally, 

 being a pack of draft hounds, there were not a 

 great many of those beautiful creatures among 

 them that Mr. Lane Fox used to refer to as 

 " summer dogs," but they all of them helped to 

 catch deer, and a succession of excellent seasons 

 with capital sport followed on Allen's appoint- 

 ment as huntsman. 



In 1893 Mr. Lovell, feeling the burden of 

 advancing years, retired from the mastership, and 

 was succeeded by Mr. Walker, an ex-master of 

 the Croome hounds. In 1894 Mr. Kelly, who 

 had lately purchased Northerwood, a fine place 

 near Lyndhurst, became joint master with him, 

 and in 1896 he took sole charge of the pack. Up 

 to this date Allen had continued to carry the 

 horn, but in 1897 his health finally gave way, 

 and he had to give up all idea of hunting. It 

 had been painful to him very often unendurably 



