346 APPENDIX. 



paths and roads, until they came to a wood of three hundred acres; 

 They took the scent into the heart of it, evincing great eagerness. 

 Here the hunt became most exciting, for the poachers were heard in 

 the front crashing through the branches. A council of war was 

 held, which unluckily ended, as many councils of war do, in coming 

 to a wrong decision. It was resolved to divide forces, and endeavour 



to head the enemy. Captain B e, two men and one of the old 



hounds, turned down a ride towards which the poachers seemed to 

 be inclining; while the others continued the direct chase. The 

 poachers, however, soon broke cover, but had not run across many 

 fields ere they were overtaken. The clear, bright moon showed eight 

 well-armed men, rather a disproportionate force for the attacking 

 three. A fight ensued. The young hound and the watch-dog were 



shot. Mr. B e was lamed, and his two men being a good deal 



hurt, the poachers triumphed and resumed their flight. On Captain 



B e rejoining the baffled party the pursuit was renewed for nine 



miles, the dogs carrying the scent the whole way into Coventry, 

 where they were stopped. 



It was now half-past seven. Many early risers were about the 

 streets ; the police offered to point out the poachers, provided their 

 identity could be sworn to. The hounds were stopped. Two 

 men were apprehended (a third escaped from the police) were 

 lodged in jail, and subsequently convicted and sentenced to eighteen 

 months' hard labour. As they had not been seen until the time of 

 the scuffle, which took place fully five miles from Mr. B e's plan- 

 tation, the only evidence to prove they had been poaching there was 

 furnished in the undeviating pursuit of the hounds. The remainder 

 of the gang fled the country. 



A farmer., several years ago, sent to the same Mr. B e to say, 



that a sheep had been killed and carried off in the night. Six hours, 

 to a certainty, probably many more, had elapsed since the animal 



had been stolen before Mr. B e could put the only hound he had 



with him on the scent. The dog, which was loose, hunted very 

 slowly to a barn where the hidden skin was found ; and afterwards, 

 without any hesitation, held on the scent from the barn to the resi- 

 dence of a respectable person so wholly beyond all suspicion that the 

 hound was called off. It was so late in the day, and along paths so 

 much frequented, that it was thought the dog must have been hunting 



other footsteps than those of the real culprit. Mr. B e at that 



moment was not aware that the respectable householder had taken in 

 a lodger. This lodger, it subsequently appeared, was the thief, and 

 in bed at the house at the time. Did not the Squire get well laughed 

 at in all the adjacent beer-shops for his softness ! However, this 

 hunt, and another not very dissimilar under the head-keeper, effec- 

 tually suppressed sheep-stealing in that neighbourhood. 



The principal initiatory lesson for a bloodhound pup is to teach 

 him to " roaa " well, as described in 43. He should, too, be perfected 

 in following quietly at " heel." When commencing to teach him to 

 follow the footsteps of the runner sent on in advance, it will be your 

 aim to make the dog enjoy the scent and carry it on with eagerness. 



