22 Forty Years Beagling 



servants whom he says should always be under con- 

 trol, and states that if you have no control over 

 your hounds you might as well go hunting with a 

 wild animal, for neither would be of any use to 

 you. So he argues that he does not consider it a 

 question of control, but does as to the amount of 

 control that is desirable which seems to puzzle. 



"H.B.N.," of Cookstown, Canada, contributes 

 an interesting article on his ideas of the above sub- 

 ject, which appeals to me as rather interesting, so 

 that I will quote it in full, as follows: " 'Quester 

 asks the question, should a beagle be under control 

 [when in the field] ? and adds, 'the field trials say 

 yes and so do I.' Well, I will not say that 'Quester' 

 and the field trials know anything about it, as that 

 would be incultus, but I do say that I have yet to 

 see a well-trained beagle while on the scent of a 

 hare that any man can call off, yea, he might yell 

 until he was voiceless and for all a good beagle 

 would still be on the trail. I know of no other plan 

 of getting a well-trained beagle off a trail than by 

 heading him and catching him. With me this is 

 just what takes some of the pleasure away in hunt- 

 ing with beagles. I am often ready to start for 

 home, but the little scamps are not, therefore I have 

 to catch them and tie them up as caught, which 

 often takes an hour or two. As I always drive to 



