The Hunting Year 



mutton, he goes a long way from home to 

 do it. 



I once saw hounds run a sheep-dog hard. It 

 was at the end of a long, wearisome woodland 

 day, when there was practically no scent at all. 

 Late in the afternoon hounds began to run, and 

 they were soon out of the wood and racing over 

 the grass. The curious thing was that though 

 the old hounds would not drive to the front they 

 " went on " with the delinquents as if they were 

 not quite certain, and the bulk of the pack were 

 running cheerily enough. It was then that the 

 Master told me the above anecdote. He told 

 me these were the only times he had seen 

 hounds run a dog, and on the last occasion he 

 said he could not account for it at all. It is the 

 only time I have ever seen a pack of hounds run 

 a dog, and I have heard of no other instances. 



I have said I have seen hounds run as hard 

 in May as in December. One occasion on 

 which this took place was very remarkable. The 

 ground was dry and dusty, and hounds abso- 

 lutely raced on dry new-sown ground, being 



practically hidden from sight by the dust for 



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