98 HARE-HUNTING AND HARRIERS 



saddle by ten o'clock, or later, and is in good time 

 for the meet at eleven o'clock. 



Having got to the formation of a pack of hounds, 

 it is desirable, for the benefit of the uninitiated, to 

 indicate briefly something of the procedure of hounds 

 in the field. The strength of the pack depends, of 

 course, on the number of hunting-days. This, again, 

 somewhat depends upon the depth of the purse of 

 the owner of the pack or the amount of subscriptions 

 forthcoming, if it be a subscription pack. A two-day- 

 a-week pack can, with economy, be comfortably kept 

 going with from fifteen to eighteen couple of hounds. 

 Some Masters manage to hunt two days a week with 

 ten or twelve couples, but this is running the thing 

 rather fine. However, it is accomplished, and fair 

 sport provided, to my certain knowledge. For three 

 days a week, from twenty to twenty-five couples of 

 hounds are desirable. Some Masters maintain even 

 more. The Dunston, hunting near Norwich, muster 

 thirty-two and a half couples ; and Mr. Henry Hawkins' 

 pack, hunting in Northamptonshire, are of similar 

 strength ; while Mr. Quare, hunting in Essex, maintained 

 during the season 1901-2 no less than thirty-five 

 couples of hounds. But this is doing it en prince, 

 and as with most harrier packs economy has to be 

 carefully considered, from twenty to twenty-five 

 couples of hounds may be considered ample even 

 for a three-day-a-week country. The Hailsham, a 

 Sussex pack, which turn out regularly three days a 

 week, and are real hard workers, and kill usually some 

 sixty hares in a season, number twenty couples. 

 These hounds are always in splendid condition, and 

 can afford to give even an occasional seventh day 

 in a fortnight. The Biggleswade, Mr. George Races', 

 put in three days a week with but twelve couples ; 



