244 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



I have known them stick to hounds until the last moment 

 when these are called off, taking their place in the 

 stickles or fords. I have seen them kneel down in the 

 water rather than let an otter pass untallied. Many is 

 the first welcome Tally ho ! from one of these ladies, 

 quick of eye and swift of foot. The most remarkable 

 performance of the kind that ever came to my notice 

 was in Suffolk, on a day when, even at six in the morn- 

 ing, the heat was tropical. Hounds were a bit above 

 themselves, and, as they dashed to water in the pride 

 of the morning, they at once hit off a burning trail. 

 Away they went full cry up stream, galloping past the 

 front whip at a pace terrific to those who had only 

 their feet to depend on. Horn and voice neither 

 stopped nor yet steadied them, and, with such a burn- 

 ing scent they could hardly be blamed. To me came 

 a lady, with a most business-like whip slung around 

 her, and asked me if she should turn them to me. Too 

 amazed to take the proposal seriously, I merely in- 

 dicated Harlequin and Damper just disappearing round 

 a bend in the dim distance. She assured me, however, 

 that that was nothing, since she was used to running. 

 She was. Back they all came, rough hound and smooth 

 hound, and close behind them the lady herself, hot 

 but triumphant. She had got to their heads. And 

 only the day before she had come seventy miles on 

 her bicycle to get to hounds. No wonder Whyte 

 Melville said the race was in the ascendant ! 



The Master should be as familiar as possible with 

 his hounds, and he will find indeed that this constitutes 

 one of the most potent charms of otter-hunting. He 



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