98 THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE HOUNDS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



"G. S. L." ON THE NORTH STAFFORD HOUNDS — PUPPY 

 JUDGING SHOW AND LUNCHEON — " THE OLD WOODEN 

 PLOUGH " — NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE SONG. 



The Nortii Staffordshire Hunt, from tlie very commence- 

 ment of its history, and right through to the present date, 

 has been fortunate in possessing Masters who have spared 

 neither expense nor pains in hound-breeding, and while 

 bringing to bear consummate knowledge and experience of 

 the subject, have been ably supported by such all-round 

 huntsmen as Wells, Maiden, Dickins, and Boxall, a 

 quartette who would be hard to beat in any country, 

 alike for kennel management and hound knowledge as 

 for ability in the field. With regard to Mr. Wicksted, 

 judging from all accounts that are available, and from 

 the knowledge we have of hounds bred originally from 

 his pack, it is abundantly clear that he was an excep- 

 tional judge of a hound, and that his success in hound 

 breeding and management was far above the average of 

 his day. 



It has been said of Mr. Davenport and Joe Maiden, and 

 said with truth, that what they didn't know about hounds 

 was not worth knowing. There are plenty of veteran 

 sportsmen still with us who could testify, if need be, to 

 Mr. Davenport's singular acumen and success in this 

 department. The interregnum between Mr. Davenport 

 and the present Master was too short to have left its mark 

 permanently on the North Staffordshire pack, but it is 



