88 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSIY HUNT. 



consequence was that he soon got effected a considerable 

 improvement in the pack, for, as all hound breeders know, 

 it is only by breeding largely that the standard of excellence 

 can be raised, or if once raised, be retained. 



As a huntsman Sir Charles had few equals and no 

 superiors. He was patient and persevering, and would 

 never leave a fox if a hound could own a line. Lifting 

 hounds was a practice which he never resorted to save in 

 the direst necessity, and as he trusted his hounds implicitly, 

 they trusted him ; and the result was that he soon had a 

 close hunting and killing pack of hounds, who rendered a 

 good account of themselves over the ploughs which prevailed 

 in the York and Ainsty country in Sir Charles Slingsby's day. 



Few huntsmen have such an influence over hounds as 

 Sir Charles had. He spent a great deal of time amongst 

 them in summer as well as in the hunting- season, and he 

 had a peculiar falsetto note on his horn which they would 

 fly to whatever they might be doing, even if they were 

 running another fox hard at the time. And if Sir Charles 

 was a good huntsman, he was also a good master, and an 

 adept at keeping a large and hard-riding field in order. He 

 was not a man of many words, and a few very mild words 

 of remonstrance were sufficient to bring the unruly to order. 

 It is told of him that, on one occasion, a hard-riding gentle- 

 man jumped in amongst the pack, and somehow came to 

 grief, — in plain English he 'cut a voluntary.' Sir Charles 

 merely remarked, ' I am very glad,' and took no further 

 notice of the incident. 



On another occasion hounds had come to a check, and 

 there was an open gateway just in front of them. Sir Charles 

 was casting his hounds, when up came Mr. Edward Robinson 

 full gallop through the gateway amongst them. 'Would you 

 believe it.'*' remarked Sir Charles, quietly, 'that man has 

 been hunting all his life.' On another occasion he offered 



