Speed Versus Nose 107 



ing who is a quitter or cannot last the hunt out if 

 ended in one daj^ He ought certainly to last as 

 long as a man, and my experience with both beagles 

 and foxhounds is that no hound can stand it to run 

 all day who runs faster than his strength will hold 

 out. Therefore a steady, true-running dog is much 

 preferable to one whose speed is run out before the 

 hunt is half over. Give me a true, sure trailer, a 

 sticker and a laster, one who works his ground not 

 madly and frantically, but carefully, eagerly, ju- 

 diciously and persistently ; who goes to work as soon 

 as the brush is reached and holds his own till the 

 hunters are ready to go home, be it one hour or ten. 

 And day in and week out I kill more rabbits with 

 him than the fastest-running dog that ever lived." 

 Then comes "Rural," of Wakefield, Massachu- 

 setts, who although evidently not as experienced as 

 some of his predecessors in the speed versus nose 

 hngo has his say in these words: "It is with great 

 pleasure that I read articles in your paper from the 

 pens of experienced beagle men. While not as ex- 

 perienced in beagle work as some of your contrib- 

 utors, I believe (as a result of my observations) 

 that breeders need to strive for courage, hunt, nose, 

 and staying powers, more than for speed in beagles 

 for practical work. I like a dog that has ambition, 

 is not timid, when cast off, will get to work at once, 



