98 COVERT-SIDE SKETCHES. 



a question. "No one ever had a perfect hound or horse ; and if 

 "\ve stick rigidly to one point in anything, we are bound to 

 sacrifice others. I have heard it mooted that the Belvoir are in 

 many instances not quite so perfect in their shouklers as some 

 packs, and that a little more music would do them no harm. 

 Nevertheless, at the present day, hound-breeders must, and do, 

 take them as one of the corner-stones of the temple, and the 

 polished shafts as well. 



The country is an extensive one, situated on the borders of 

 Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, Belvoir Castle and the kennels 

 being in Leicestershire, but as near as possible in the division be- 

 tween the two, though we must undoubtedly look upon Lincoln- 

 shire as the original home and nursery of the modern fox-hound. 

 In character it is very varied, the Vale of Belvoir stretching 

 away from the castle towards Nottingham, being of a holding, 

 deep, and stiff character, so that nothing but the very best of 

 hunters can cross it ; and I have heard on good authority that 

 one of the fiuest and boldest riders Melton ever sent forth 

 has totally declined to go down into its deep clays. 



Another thing I have heard : — A man came from the other 

 side of Leicestershire to Grantham with his horses, and hunted 

 some few days in the lighter parts of the country, which I shall 

 presently endeavour to describe ; but was constantly saying he 

 could find nothing worth riding over. 



Presently he went to a meet in the vale ; the hounds 

 found and went away ; the regular Belvoir men, knowing their 

 way about, stuck to a green lane. This thruster, like the 

 honorary obligation division in " Ask Mamma," thought it in- 

 cumbent on him to go without deviation on the track of the 

 hounds. The first opportunity he turned from the lane through 

 a gate into a field ; but, alas ! the fence was not to his liking. 

 He had found more to jumj) than he wanted ; and, having 

 ridden dolefully round the enclosure to seek an exit, and 

 finding none, returned to the gate by which he entered, greatly 

 to the amusement of all who saw the incident. That evening 



