The Cotswold. 275 



ham for Mr. Cregoe Colemore. The latter accordingly^ 

 in the year 1858, formed a pack — buying hounds from 

 Lord Giffordj who was then retiring from the Vale of 

 White Horse, and also some from Mr. Farquharson of 

 the Cattistock. With these he worked the Cheltenham 

 and Broadway countries together — till Lord Coventry 

 took over the Broadway, to create the North Cotswold. 

 On Mr. Colemore' s death in 1871, Sir Reginald 

 Graham was Master of the Cotswold for two years ; 

 when Mr. A. Sumner, the present Master, took 

 the country. 



The pack now in Kennel descends direct from Mr. 

 Coleman's purchases ; but Mr. Sumner has spared 

 neither pains nor expense to obtain the best blood of 

 Brocklesby, Badminton, Belvoir, Berkeley, and Lord 

 Coventry, to blend with the strains in existence at 

 home. The consequence is that the pack have all the 

 speed and stamina necessary to fly the hills, and the 

 drive and stoutness needed to push a woodland fox 

 through the wide strong coverts to his death in the 

 open. The undulations of the Cotswold hills are very 

 steep and severe ; and hound and horse alike, to live 

 over them, must possess the most pronounced pro- 

 pelling power and own a spotless lineage. The only 

 fence — with the exception of an occasional insigni- 

 ficant hedge — is the loose stonewall of Gloucestershire 

 — formidable enough, though, in its varying height 

 and under the trying conditions of pace and stiff 

 ascents. On a good scent, hounds Can race over the 

 walls quite as quick as horses — taking the jump 

 almost abreast, and with none of the stringing, 

 jostling, and subsequent panting after the leaders 



