NOTES FROM THE BELVOIR KENNEL 255 



Gillard, the smile dying out of his face, " I thought 

 you would say so. Would that it had been my 

 luck to see such a prize through his career ; but there, 

 I've had a great innings and must not murmur ! " 

 The little group stood silent, wrapped in thought, a 

 chain of past memories being awakened by the 

 young hound whose future promised so well. Surely 

 life is made up of sunshine and shadow, but the 

 memory of our sport can kindle a flame to warm 

 the heart long after we cease to be actively engaged 

 in pursuit. 



The reverie was broken by the arrival of a tele- 

 gram announcing the death of young Will Goodall, 

 huntsman to the Pytchley, and son of the famous 

 Belvoir huntsman, in which kennel he gained his 

 first tuition as whipper-in under Frank Gillard, for 

 Belvoir has always stood high as a school for hunts- 

 men. 



It was Ben CapelTs proud boast that Dexter 

 never felt the whip-cord, except on one occasion 

 when an inexperienced whipper-in hit him by mis- 

 take. He hunted with the pack into his eleventh 

 season, and then was allowed to roam at large in 

 the park around the kennels, a pensioner, as his 

 illustrious ancestors Weathergauge and Gambler had 

 been before him . Like the celebrated horse St . Simon, 

 Dexter was the sire of many sons famous as him- 

 self, who carried on the reputation of the kennel 

 and won champion honours for other packs. 



In the kennel Sir Gilbert Greenall, ably seconded 

 by his huntsman Ben Capell, has proved a strong 

 master and a great hound -breeder. A past experi- 

 ence in the science of breeding pedigree stock of all 

 descriptions was of great assistance to the young 

 master, who went to the root of the matter, having 

 the extended pedigree of every entered hound 



