The Monmouthshire. 415 



many a fox; and liounds can breast the hill readily 

 after him. Now and again they have brought him 

 back and killed him, while the horsemen have not 

 attempted to rise above the midlevel which the covert 

 marks. On one occasion the pack drove a fox round 

 the back of the mountain into the midst of the collieries, 

 and had him dead beat among the works and buildings. 

 No amount of casting round served to carry hounds a 

 yard beyond the spot on which they had thrown up 

 their heads; and so they were taken home. After- 

 wards it transpired that the colliers had bagged poor 

 Keynard in his distress, and turned him out the next 

 Sunday morning to bait with their dogs. That he 

 slipped them all, and made good his escape, was a 

 triumph not only to him, but to the cause of good 

 feeling and true sport alike. 



Mr. F. Capel Hanbury- Williams has kept the 

 hounds since 1868 ; and, till the last two or three 

 years, hunted them himself. His pack shows as much 

 quality and excellence, both in kennel and field, as 

 any on the Welsh border. Its breeding has been 

 assisted of late years by sending to the kennels of 

 Lord Fitzhardinge and Lord Hill. The Monmouth- 

 shire country is one over which hounds can travel very 

 quickly, as they are generally able to fly the fences in 

 line instead of having to stop and creep. Many of 

 the woods are big; but after Christmas, at all events, 

 hounds can drive through them very readily. Here, 

 as among their neighbours, the matter of tongue, 

 ready and loud, is sturdily insisted upon. Besides 

 dash and style, determination and tongue, another 

 great requisite has to be secured with hounds on the 



