A Sportsman at Large 175 



On this occasion the man in scarlet, no doubt, saw things 

 which were not obvious to hoi polloi. 



But the most brilliant greyhound that I was responsible 

 for was Dark Crystal, a bd. b. p. by Father Flint (winner 

 of the Waterloo Cup), out of my own distinguished bitch 

 True Token. She was a big and very handsome speci- 

 men of a " longtail," favouring her dam very markedly in 

 looks. True Token herself had twice won for me the All- 

 aged Stakes at the Newmarket Champion Meeting, and had 

 also carried off the Peterborough Cup. She had an enormous 

 stride, and in deep going she would lead anything ; more- 

 over, she could stay for ever ; but she had one fatal fault 

 which prevented her attaining the highest honours of the 

 Leash she was the worst killer I ever remember to have 

 seen. In fact, as far as my own knowledge goes, she never 

 effected a kill. The consequence was that, when pitted 

 against a greyhound of speed, she was subjected to very 

 punishing courses, and if the hare stood up long enough 

 before making her escape, True Token would be run to a 

 standstill and would thus be rendered incapable of raising 

 a gallop next round. 



Not only was she a power to be reckoned with in the field, 

 but she was nigh perfection as regards show points. Practi- 

 cally she was never beaten on the bench, and soon became 

 entitled to a Kennel Club Championship ; though on one 

 occasion (at Cruft's) she was placed second to a bitch which 

 just previously had been sold to the exhibitor by the judge ! 

 De mortuis nil nisi bonum ; but the deduction or the faultiness 

 of the judgment was obvious to the cognoscenti (blessed 

 word !). 



Jenny, for that was True Token's kennel name, was an 

 amiable creature enough, except as regards the feline per- 

 suasion. She was death on cats, and if she was a failure 

 at picking up a hare, the same complaint could not be levelled 

 against her where grimalkin was concerned. When she 

 got out of hand and gave chase, she would sweep poor pussy 

 up and perform a sort of pyrotechnic catherine-wheel with 

 her, so that by the time you reached the scene of tragedy 

 there would be nothing but fur, blood and bones to be col- 



