52 WITH HOUND AND TERRIER. 



till Whitemore suddenly held up his hand and ex- 

 claimed in a voice of dismay, " Pray, don't let any 

 more out. We shall have a fight." " Not a bit 

 of it," was my reply ; and waving my handkerchief, 

 which I happened to have in my hand, " If there 

 is any trouble I will soon stop it with this." 

 Whitemore was much amused at the idea, and as 

 there was no occasion to use even the light weapon 

 I proposed, he said he had never known terriers 

 under such command, nor had he ever seen so 

 many together before. 



A much more wonderful instance of perfect 

 kennel discipline was that I once witnessed with 

 terriers and foxhounds in the Blackmore Vale 

 kennels. One day not long before Press retired 

 I rode over to the kennels, and being told by 

 the kennelman that Press was in the orchard 

 with the hounds, I dismounted and went in 

 search of him. The sight that met my eyes 

 as I opened the gate I shall never forget. 

 There was Press in his kennel-coat, with only 

 a slim white willow in his hand, surrounded 

 by both packs of hounds, and seated on a low 

 stool with his favourite little hound, Miranda, 

 on his knees, while he was encouraging some 

 nine or ten terriers to scratch at the rat-holes 

 round an old apple-tree. Not one of the hounds 

 ventured to interfere as they stood round watch- 

 ing the terriers' efforts, and it was enough for 

 Press to lift his little stick if one essayed to 

 go too near them. Seating myself on a handy 



