212 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



me, and conspicuous for liigli courage and lasting qualities. 

 They were large hounds, with plenty of bone and muscle, and 

 good legs and feet. The dogs averaged 25 and 26 inches in 

 height, and the bitches 24, In the fast thing we had over the 

 downs a bitch, standing full 25 inches, took the lead the whole 

 distance. Many opinions were expressed adversely to such 

 hounds doing their work in a woodland and hilly country ; but 

 1 never knew any one come out with us, and return home dis- 

 satisfied. In our hilly country, especially, the hounds inva- 

 riably beat the horses, and in woodlands they would dash and 

 spring over the short stuff like greyhounds ; fences and gates 

 also they took flying. 



Jn the kennel they were savage, and would not be struck 

 with impunity. The whipper-in one day, whilst I was absent, 

 thought proper to exercise his whip among them, which they 

 resented by turning upon him, and he was obliged to fly over the 

 palings, one of the hounds tearing off the skirt of liis coat, as he 

 was scrambling over. On another occasion the old kennel 

 huntsman applied the thong rather unceremoniously to one of 

 the hounds, which he had by himself, when he turned upon 

 him, and, catching him by the coat collar, pulled him down on 

 his back. The dog did not attempt to injure him further 

 There was one particularly cross and savage with the other 

 hounds, and, catching him one day fighting and quarrelling, I 

 called the other hounds out of the kennel, and resolved to make 

 him know better. I laid the whip upon him sharply ; but, at 

 every cut I gave him, he jumped at me, with his bristles up, as 

 savage as a lion. Seeing I might kill but could not subdue 

 him, I threw the whip down on the floor, and holding out my 

 hand, called him to me by name. He immediately approached, 

 with his bristles and stern well up still, and licked the hand 

 held out to him. The lesson was never forgotten by me. I 

 adopted afterwards the plan of separating at night the most 

 quarrelsome, but in the summer it was diflficult to keep them 

 from fighting without constant and long exercise. More, how- 

 ever, was done by the voice than the whip, which I found only 

 made them more irritable. With kind words they would do 

 anything, and as I always made pets of them, their tractability 

 was shown in various ways. 



I used to ])ut my boy of about five years old on some of their 

 backs, to ride about ; and it was amusing to see what kicks and 

 cuffs they would take from him in the greatest good humour. 

 Do what he would with them, they never showed any disposition 

 to be out of temper, and seemed proud of carrying him about. 



The characters of high-bred fox-hounds are seldom sufficiently 



