HUNTING 209 



took sole charge of the pack, and by that time 

 a really first-class pack of hounds, judged by the 

 standard of work in the field, had been got to- 

 gether, and most excellent sport was being shown 

 day after day. Mr. Thursby found himself obliged 

 to follow rather different lines from those which 

 we had adopted, in getting his entries together. 

 The practice of selling drafts of young hounds by 

 auction at Rugby had come into fashion, and 

 this raised the price a good deal. In old days it 

 was possible to bespeak, year after year, the 

 whole draft from some kennel of note, where the 

 working capabilities of the hounds were unim- 

 peachable and the number of young hounds 

 annually bred was large. 



In this way many provincial packs, built up 

 in successive years from hounds bred in particular 

 kennels, became not only very good packs of 

 hounds, but also packs with a distinct character 

 and points of excellence of their own, that cannot 

 so well be formed by bringing into kennel a 

 number of hounds of many different strains and 

 qualities, from diverse places. 



However, matters have changed, and, since 

 the auction mart led to very high prices being 

 given for smart young hounds of average size, 

 Mr. Thursby thought it wise to raise his standard 



above the usual size of a foxhound, and with a 







