62 In Scarlet and Silk 



surprising manner. " What a quartette of 

 grand sportsmen ! " must be the thought of all 

 hunting men when the names of the Duke of 

 Beaufort, Mr. George Lane Fox of the Bram- 

 ham Moor, the ever-to-be revered " Parson " 

 Jack Eussell, and Mr. Fellowes are mentioned. 

 I suppose it would be a safe thing to say 

 that a hound is at his best in his third season, 

 that is, when he is about four years old ; 

 but it by no means follows that he will not 

 be as good, with ordinary luck, when he is 

 six. The first failing usually noticeable about 

 a hound that is "getting on in years" is that 

 his turn of speed fails him. If he has been 

 a leading hound, he will now, perhaps, drop 

 back into the ruck in running, especially if 

 the pace be very good ; soon after he will 

 begin to tail, and must be drafted. A 

 constant supply of puppies must be had 

 recourse to to supply the places of the 

 worn out ; and it is always, of course, 

 necessary to breed many more than you 

 are likely to want, so that only the best 

 may be retained at the close of the cub- 



