332 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



gradually grew sounder, and he joined the pack 

 again when his second cub-hunting season came 

 round. But long before the season was over he 

 broke down irretrievably and was destroyed. 



Now before the time of the hound shows there 

 were far more cases of this sort in provincial packs 

 than there have been since, and the gradual im- 

 provement in hounds all over the country is — not 

 in all respects, perhaps, but at any rate in some 

 respects — due to the influence of hound shows. 



Peterborough is a pleasant reunion, and it is 

 interesting, if you chance to be admitted to the 

 privilege, to listen to the huntsman in uniform 

 and the huntsman in mufti as they exchange notes 

 about the hounds they have before them, or relate 

 incidents which have happened in the hunting 

 field during the last season. It will go hard if 

 you do not learn something worth knowing re- 

 specting the ways of the fox or the instincts of the 

 hound if you should chance to listen to a conversa- 

 tion amongst those experts. At any rate that has 

 been my experience, and 1 was present at the 

 second hound show, and have attended a great 

 many since, not having missed one for several 

 years. 



The social side of the Peterborough show is 

 also especially pleasant to the hunting man, who 

 is generally a social being. He meets his friends 

 from a distance ; he compares notes with them, 

 and he makes arrangements for the forthcoming 

 season, receiving and giving invitations to " come 

 and have a look at our country." 



Yes, Peterborough is essentially one feature of 

 the fox-hunter's year. It has its educational and 

 its pleasure side, and we could not do without it. 



