194 FOX-HUNTING FROM SHIRE TO SHIRE 



gether with their dam, are included in Mr Hardy's 

 picture. To have acquired four such noble matrons 

 for a kennel — no matter the price — was a bold bid 

 for success with future entries, and their career will 

 be noted with some interest by those who follow 

 hound breeding. 



What price the dam of this remarkable litter 

 would have made it is difficult to guess ; but, " for 

 sentiment sake," Mr Bibby writes : " Rakish, her- 

 self, and several more of the same blood, that 

 were old favourites of mine, were not sold at the 

 sale ; but I gave them to my late huntsman, Herbert 

 Jones — who went to the Southdown — to take with 

 him. You will see that Rakish won the first 

 prize for brood bitches at the Peterborough show of 

 1909, the year I gave up. I was very anxious that 

 they should go on being bred from, on the same 

 lines, and Mr Misa, master of the Southdown, kindly 

 allowed Jones to do this." 



The following day I had the pleasure of seeing 

 these beautiful sisters in the field, and heard their 

 deep, stirring music in the far-famed woodlands, 

 which Whyte Melville said are the best in England. 

 When looking through a kennel list, and asked 

 what I want to see next, I invariably go for any of 

 Belvoir Warlaby's stock — which gives the successful 

 outcross of Grafton Woodman — and generally 

 draw a prize ! Wallflower (1908), the daughter of 

 my favourite, from V. W. H. (Cricklade) Nelly 

 (1905), came up to expectations, for she was a big 

 stylish bitch, with the stamp of Belvoir on neck 

 and shoulders. Rich in colouring, she was all liberty 

 when skimming over the flags, and came in a couple 

 with Bridget (1906) from the V. W. H. kennel^ 

 the latter being by their Bandit (1902), from Night- 

 jar (1899) — the price paid being 175 guineas. For 



