286 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



the starfish give you as many occasions for a view, and, if 

 you Hke, of a holloa. Of the several cubs afoot, one 

 princely youngster stood out from his fellows as Forager 

 has, at Althorp and at Peterborough alike : and, in spite of 

 Goodall's best attention, the cub was able to save his 

 peculiarly white-tipped banner for another day and the 

 other pack. Blood-happiness, as it may be termed, is a 

 phase of expression distinctive of the successful hunt- 

 servant ; and when results admit of its being worn, is any- 

 thing but unattractive. In its absence a less becoming 

 melancholy is only too apt to supervene. Saturday was a 

 bad scenting day, and bloodless, and there could be no 

 more hunting until Tuesday. Can you not sympathise ? 



Tuesday gave us the reverse of the picture. Everything 

 was bright, from the bitch pack to the cool, clear morn- 

 ing ; from a burning scent to the huntsman's beaming face, 

 as he handled his second cub at nine by the clock. The 

 north wind, that had again dried the ground to the con- 

 sistency of brick, set a rime on the grass and put such 

 power into the scent that hounds were never at fault. 

 They chased fox after fox as if in view ; and for hours we 

 had almost continuous music. It was a morning to do 

 them good — to give the young hounds work without over- 

 tiring them, and a double taste of blood by their own 

 exertions. I believe just as firmly in the efficacy of taking 

 hounds home when they have had enough as I do in the 

 desirability of you yourself returning thither while you are 

 pleased — in both cases with the sweet uncloyed upon the 

 palate. To-day Goodall had eleven couple of youngsters 

 out, and every one of them went madly into the cry. 



A brace of cubs on Tues^day in Geddington Chase ; and 

 a brace the Thursday before in Weekly Hall Wood. This 

 was the allowance meted to the lady pack, well earned, and 

 that could well be spared. On Tuesday they found and 

 scattered nearly half a score of cubs ; rattled half of them 

 for their future good, besides running two of them to their 

 immediate end. The first litter was found in a little wood 

 called Sart, just outside the five-hundred-acre Chase, and 

 from its dimensions and position admirably adapted for 

 the closing scene of the educational process (in technical 



