2l6 



GOOD SPORT 



and the Burghley House pack were harriers under 

 20 ins. in height, with a hunting staff clothed in 

 green. In this way they visited various countries 

 by invitation, giving the fox-hunting community 

 many an acceptable bye-day. After a time, when 

 the merry little harriers had learnt all there is to 

 know about the wiles of a hare, they chased and 

 slew a maundering sheep-dog, and then achieved 

 greater things by killing an Aswarby fox after a 

 capital hunt of thirty minutes at a good holding 



pace. Since then Lord 

 Exeter has abandoned 

 hare hunting, and now 

 pursues the fox two 

 and three days a week 

 during the season. 

 Though a few of the 

 original harriers still 

 remain in the pack, 

 nailers in their work, 

 the standard of height 

 has been increased with foxhound blood, and every 

 year sees an improvement so far as size and pace 

 are concerned. 



The original pack was twenty-one couple, ten 

 and a half couple of which were dogs, and a very 

 useful pack of harriers they proved themselves. 

 The hares killed the first season, viz., in 1899, were 

 55 ; in 1900, 33 ; 1901, 41 ; 1902, 70 ; 1903, 34. 

 But much of the country hunted by Lord Exeter 

 was overstocked with hares, which was not good for 

 sport, eventually determining him to turn atten- 

 tion to the fox. Looking through the kennel list 

 there is evidence of the best strains of harrier 

 blood, with representatives by the Boddington 

 Borderer, Mr. V. Pryce's Corsair, Mr. Quare's 



Over the Line. 



