152 The Sporting Dog 



gles are of the same sort. On the other hand 

 Mr. Higginson's Middlesex Hunt pack is kept 

 and hunted strictly as a pack, Mr. Higginson 

 using his hounds both on hares and with the drag. 



In establishing a regular pack, whether the in- 

 tention is to ride or follow afoot, the master first 

 seeks uniformity of look and pace. Uniformity of 

 look includes color, size, shape, expression, coat, 

 and the typical points of ear and brush. It is a 

 pretty art to breed up to a finished standard. In 

 work a perfected pack not only presents equality 

 of pace, but similarity of style. The master toler- 

 ates no flyers in front, no stragglers behind. The 

 overfast as well as the overslow must be drafted 

 out and sent away from the kennel. Whatever 

 the duration of the run, the hounds must not 

 string out. 



As men and women of leisure take more to field 

 sports, no doubt beagle packs will become more 

 numerous. But our American way will alone do 

 for the cottontail hare. It best suits our Ameri- 

 can way of doing things. Beagles are selected 

 and hunted that they may drive for the gun. The 

 cottontail is a dodger. Ahead of hounds it will 

 almost invariably circle back after a few minutes 

 of running. There is no sport in riding to that 

 sort of hound work; not much afoot without a 

 gun. The sport is for the hounds to keep molly 

 moving until she comes to the gun. And the 



