72 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



had rather have a kiss from you than ." We 



could not hear the remainder of the sentence, but 

 easily guessed it. 



" Confound that cur Fritz ! " exclaimed his 

 friend. " I couldn't have believed him such a 

 coward ! Now, girls, we must be going, so make 

 your partner a curtsey, Fanny, or give him a kiss, 

 as you please/' 



Our hounds were accustomed to ladies' society, 

 which, perhaps, was one of the chief causes of 

 their courtesy towards visitors ; and from our great 

 attention to cleanliness, a pin might be picked off 

 the floor as bright as it fell. 



Strange as it may appear, members of the hunt 

 manifest very little interest in the well-being of 

 the pack to which they ostensibly belong. If the 

 sport is good, it is a matter of perfect indifference 

 to them how it is effected ; in short, they would not 

 care a rap whether a bagman were turned out of 

 a sack, or a wild fox from his kennel, provided 

 they got what they go out for and nothing else - 

 a run, as something to talk of. We considered 

 ourselves fortunate in having one at least who 

 understood the management and working of a 

 pack of foxhounds one who had profited by the 

 instruction he had received and the lessons he had 

 been taught by that renowned sportsman, John 

 Wnrde, with whom he had hunted for many years 

 previously to his joining our hunt : we allude to 

 the late John Starkey, of Spye Park, Wilts, as 

 enthusiastic a foxhuuter as he proved himself to 



