294 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



miles. All the time the Master, who hunted his 

 own hounds, was exercised in his mind as to what 

 it was they were running, for though the young 

 hounds were eager enough, the old ones were 

 decidedly slack. However, they kept running on 

 till " quickly they ran from scent into view " near 

 a farm-house, where the sheep-dog who had done 

 all the mischief took refuge. There was no mis- 

 take about it, for there were the marks where the 

 shepherd's shot had peppered him. The wound, 

 however, would not have proved fatal, and he 

 saved himself from the hounds, which, perhaps, 

 would scarcely have killed him had they got up to 

 him ; but he was hanged, and that without delay. 

 And mark, this dog went some miles from home to 

 satisfy his mutton-loving appetite. 



It may be thought that hounds would not run 

 a sheep-dog, but I am reminded by the anecdote 

 I have just related of an incident which I once saw 

 with a good pack of foxhounds for which I could 

 never account. We had had an unsatisfactory day, 

 the wind was high and blew from the north-west, 

 and there were frequent squally showers. We had 

 found plenty of foxes, but there had been no scent 

 to speak of, and we were about weary of trying 

 any longer. Most of the field had gone home, 

 luckily, and only some half a score or thereabouts 

 were left when the Master went to try the last 

 covert in his draw, a big woodland which was a 

 sure find. We were not long before we were at 

 work again, dragging about in the big woods 

 without doing much good, and hounds had been 

 dragging on for about half an hour, and every one 

 thought the game was up for the day, when all at 

 once they began to run like fury. And, joy of 



