HORSES AND HOU^TDS. 141 



trained as a race-horse ; but he had more than assertion to prove 

 this, in tlie sliape of about twenty cups and plates which had 

 been won by his own hunters. 



It is the custom with many huntsmen to take out a large 

 body of hounds into woodlands at the beginning of the season ; 

 there is no objection to this when foxes are plentiful and you 

 do not wish to break away. They may be chopping and chang- 

 ing nearly the whole day, sometimes the body of hounds holding 

 to one fox, but more often split into several lots, each pursuing 

 their own game, until hounds and foxes are nearly all beaten 

 together. A good long woodland day, with blood at the end, is 

 of great service to young hounds, as it shows you what they are 

 made of, and hounds that are not afraid of scratching their 

 faces in the covert will seldom disappoint your expectations 

 when they run over the open. When, however, the regular sea- 

 son commences, I would not exceed twenty couples even in the 

 largest woodlands. They are more likely to hold together than 

 a larger body of hounds, and when foxes run their foil, which 

 they will often do, the ground is less tainted ; and even should 

 they divide, eight or ten couples of good hounds are quite 

 enough to kill the best fox that ever wore a brush. I have 

 known on more occasions than one my pack divide, and each 

 kill their ovni fox. I had also three hounds which once broke 

 away after one fox, whilst the pack were running another, and 

 without any assistance, or an individual with them, they ran 

 their fox through several large woods, a distance of ten miles, 

 and killed him by themselves. This would disprove the asser- 

 tion made by some, that a pack of hounds, if left to themselves, 

 would seldom account for their fox. Really good hounds would 

 seldom miss one. In the days of my strength and prosperity I 

 would have backed any five couples out of my pack, barring the 

 first year's entry, to find and kill their fox by themselves, with- 

 out any assistance, throughout the season, taking bad and good 

 scenting days together. Hounds are too much hallooed and 

 hustled in the present day to admit of their being intrin- 

 sically good, nor are they allowed sufiicient time by many hunts- 

 men to exliibit the good qualities they may possess. 



