LONG POINTS AND THE HEYTHROP. 221 



days — many ladies; but the love of hunting, rather than of 

 galloping and jumping, was, I think, the principal attraction, 

 and I am inclined to think that interest in hound work is 

 more general than it was a generation or more ago. Those 

 who follow the Devon and Somerset come in for much tricky 

 riding, both on the moor and up and down the combes, and 

 occasionally there is not a fence to be jumped all day long, 

 wliile, except at odd times, the greater part of the galloping 

 is over heather. But there are fine opportunities for watching 

 hound work, when once a run begins. The tufting, as far as 

 my experience goes, is mostly out of sight — but not of hearing 

 — of the field, but when once the pack has been laid on there 

 is plenty, as a rule, to be seen, especially for the well-mounted 

 pnes, for hounds do not travel so fast over the heather as 

 they do over grass. This interest in hound work has, I think, 

 been largely promoted by the puppy show. Time was when 

 puppy shows were by no means general, and I can remember 

 various countries in which there was no such thing before the 

 'eighties, while I have it also in mind that many of the earlier 

 shows were insignificant affairs to which no one went, except 

 a few of the walkers. I recollect one modest affair at which 

 some eight or nine couple were brought in on the same day, 

 many of them led by the children of the walker. Then the 

 IMaster and liis huntsman looked them over, and afterwards 

 sent two or three' small prizes tO' those who had sent in the 

 best conditioned — not actually the best puppies. This sort of 

 thing did not last long, and the puppy show gradually 

 developed until it became the important function it is to-day, 

 attended by large crowds, not only of walkers, but of members 

 of the hunt, of farmers, and, in many cases, of ladies, with 

 an elaborate luncheon, many speeches, and well-known judges, 

 often brought from quite another part of the country. Such 

 competitions are of great value to any hunt, and it is satsfac- 

 tory that now the war being at an end they are being resumed 

 in all their old importance. They bring together the hunting 

 people and the people whose land is ridden over in 

 the midst of the season, they bring about an increase in 

 the number of willing walkers, and they encourage 

 hunting people — and especially the youngsters — to 

 take an interest in the hounds themselves. And when 



