DRAFTING. 17 



from whom tliey are obtained. New masters of hounds 

 are very frequently young men, whose knowledge in 

 the secrets and mysteries of the kennel is in the per- 

 spective ; their great ambition seems to be, to be able 

 to boast of beauty alone, without considering the more 

 important qualities ; a well-matched and level pack, 

 are certainly a most agreeable and beautiful object, and 

 truly worthy of admiration ; but if in chase they tail, 

 and are unable to run together, they are, in my opinion, 

 very inferior both in appearance and value to those 

 which carry a good head, without skirting or tailing, 

 even if they are not quite so even in size. I have seen 

 numbers of hounds of all ages, in whose shape and 

 make the most scrutinizing and fastidious judge might 

 in vain seek for a fault, and which were the very " beau 

 ideal" of speed and stoutness, yet totally unable "to go 

 the pace," or even to last out on a severe hunting-day 

 without tiring ; nevertheless there is, no doubt, a good 

 reason for it, which is beyond the knowledge of 

 man to discover. 



The chief reason for which hounds are drafted from 

 packs which may be considered to have been established, 

 are, besides from their size not matching with the others, 

 lameness, and having delicate constitutions, or being 

 subject to fits ; their being wide or skirters, mute, 

 noisy, that is, either speaking where a fox has never 

 been, or throwing their tongues before they are on the 

 line of the fox, when going from any point to join the 

 leading hounds, forcing or driving at check without a 

 scent from jealousy, being incurable hare hunters, and 

 hanging or tying on the scent ; as soon as a huntsman 

 perceives a culprit to be guilty of any of the above 



