THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



"Thursday we meet at Croxton Park; Friday, Byard's 

 Leap. 



" I beg to remain, 



" Honoured Sir, 

 " Your most humble and obedient servant, 



"Wm. Goodall." 



After this came the spell of frost, but Goodall's mind is 

 full of the hounds. In this year he went back to Badminton 

 for an outcross, and the Rufus of which he speaks was evi- 

 dently a favourite with him. Five couple out of an entry of 

 thirteen and a half couple of young Rufuses were put for- 

 ward. 



VII 



Belvoir Kennels, 



" Saturday Morning. 

 [N.D.] 

 " Honoured Sir, — 



" As hunting appears to be quite out of the question this 

 morning, I am devoting a small portion of my time to the 

 study of fox-hounds ; and, whilst doing so, I enclose you a 

 book of the Belvoir hounds, with a few remarks therein 

 which, in this slack hunting weather, will, I think, be as 

 amusing to you to look over as it is to me in sending. 



"You will therein see a goodly number of well-bred and 

 good-looking dogs which have been used by many of our 

 neighbouring and distant packs. Our young team, which 

 chiefly consist of Beaufort Rufuses and Guiders, are doing 

 remarkably well. I have been watching them very closely 

 this late trying, bad scenting weather, and, although they 

 have not been able to do any good, I have been much grati- 

 fied with the sensible and quiet manner in which they have 

 conducted themselves, and which some days I have thought 

 would have been a good lesson for me ; but really that un- 

 ruly member will never crowd the storehouse of the mind, 

 and, had I been a hound, would have drafted me long since 

 to the fountains of intelligence to learn the words of wisdom. 



" I hope and trust, however, that this beautiful frost will 

 clear and purify the atmosphere and improve the scents, 



194 



