178 Forty Years Beagling 



pleading with me not to fire that horrid gun ; again, 

 then, have I seen that soft pleading glance. Again, 

 when the game took refuge in a thicket of briars and 

 thorn brush, that soft pleading eye would say plain 

 as could be, 'Oh ! do go in and drive out that nasty 

 rabbit for me, I can't go through those horrid 

 briars.' I tell you those eyes make a very pretty 

 and dramatic effect, but I don't want too many of 

 them in a beagle. I would rather have a little snap 

 and fire in my dog's eye." 



Then along comes Mr. H. L. Kreuder with some 

 interesting facts about the Rowett hounds brought 

 out by the Card and MacAleer letters, in which 

 h^ says: "Mr. Card says field trials are not im- 

 proving or advancing the breed, because they have 

 a tendency to promote speed and quality, and lose 

 in softness of eye and that tender affection for 

 which so many beagles are admired. The new is, 

 however, but a continuation of the old and in keep- 

 ing with all matters, modernized by men who devote 

 themselves industriously and intelligently to the 

 art of improvement. The true bred beagle was first 

 introduced into this country about 1875, and I be- 

 lieve by General Rowett of Carlinville. In judg- 

 ing from the present dogs now performing in our 

 trials, and seen at our bench show^s, his dogs must 

 have been 'gold, and all gold,' to have withstood 



