Staghounds 67 



millstone ; he must be able to go a great pace, 

 be short coupled, and possess undeniable 

 shoulders. AVith such a nag under him, a 

 man may " harden his heart," and prepare 

 for certainly a long, probably a good, day's 

 sport. 



When the fortunes of the Devon and Somer- 

 set Staghounds were at a very low ebb, Mr. 

 Fenwick Bisset stepped into the breach, and 

 in spite of difficulties which would have 

 deterred many another man, he held the 

 Mastership, with infinite credit to himself 

 and benefit to the country, for no less than 

 twenty-seven years. Old Jack Babbage, who 

 had been huntsman to Mr. Carew, was ap- 

 pointed to carry the horn w^hen Mr. Bisset 

 assumed the command, and Arthur Heal was 

 whipper-in. Good as Babbage was, it seems 

 to be generally admitted that Arthur Heal 

 was better, when, in due course, he became 

 huntsman to the famous pack ; and it takes 

 a clever man to do himself and his employers 

 justice in this position ; a much more trying 

 one, I venture to think, than that of hunts- 



