THE FINEST SPORT 139 



form, the peep-of-day meet, the drag up to 

 the find, and the long slow pursuit, it did 

 perhaps do so, but nowadays we are rather 

 inclined to sacrifice everything to ''a gallop." 

 No doubt a good fast run is the acme of fox- 

 hunting, but at the moment at which hounds 

 are really brought to their noses, and the 

 cream of the thing for the houndman is 

 about to begin, how often nowadays are his 

 delights marred by a ''halloa!" Of course, 

 there are many occasions when this is right 

 and proper, such as when the pack is not 

 quite a first-rate one or in proper condition ; 

 or again, when a long-continued series of 

 bad scenting days has made the obtaining 

 of blood desirable, although I am much 

 inclined to doubt if the best hounds are not 

 those which don't require blooding at all. 

 Put apart from the bad effect on hound.s 



