THE GOLDEN AGE 



Those of my readers who will look back over the pedigree 

 will see that Rallywood's goes back to Mr. Osbaldeston's 

 Furrier, the famous hound which the squire got in a draft 

 from Belvoir, so that we have yet another instance of the 

 close and intimate relationship of these two most famous 

 packs. Moreover, Will Smith had, when Rallywood started 

 on his southward way, several couples of his descendants, 

 which remained behind to carry on the family honours, and 

 to bind more closely the tie between the two kennels. 



If the reader glances at the stud book reprinted in the 

 appendix, he will see two hounds, Clinker and Clasher (1851), 

 which evidently found much favour with Will Goodall and 

 the master. They had immense pace, which they inherited 

 from a very remarkable mother, Caroline (1850), which goes 

 back to the Belvoir Abelard (181 3), and thence to Jerker 

 (1790). She undoubtedly had in her veins a strain of the 

 original Belvoir blood of the old racing grey-hound sort, and 

 from which the speed of the pack is derived. Caroline is said 

 to have found a fox by herself, and to have forced him away. 

 Closely following her came the pack, but the pace was so 

 quick that the fox could not turn, nor could the other hounds 

 reach it before Caroline had caught and killed it alone. 



The Belvoir Rallywood (1853) was the delight of Will's heart. 

 No hound could beat him for pace in a morning scurry when 

 the best of Melton were racing behind the pack, no hound 

 could hunt more stoutly for an afternoon fox. His pluck and 

 his constitution were wonderful. He was twenty-three inches 

 in height, and his colour was a rich black, tan, and white. 

 His head was a marvel of intelligence and character ; like the 

 Chancellor Thurlow, no one could be quite as wise as he 

 looked. His neck was clean, and well set on good shoulders. 

 Not even Lord Forester could find that he was not straight, 

 and his back and loins were magnificent in their grace and 

 strength. His thighs looked like galloping, and he stood on 

 perfect feet. Nor must we forget his mother Speedwell 

 (1849), by the Grove Singer, and going back through him to 

 the lines of Osbaldeston, Monson, and old Belvoir. So that 

 we see this great hound combined in himself all the best 



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