Condition of the Hounds. 51 



to his hourids, Mr. Smith, sat clo^vn to dinner 

 in his host's clothes, well pleased to he spared 

 the long ride home that night. Shortly after 

 diimer the Colonel left the room ; and when he 

 returned he said that he could not help going 

 to see how a pack of hounds looked after 

 such an extraordinary long and hard run. He 

 said that when he went into the lodging-room 

 with a lantern, all the hounds jumped off the 

 benches with their sterns over their backs, as 

 if ready to start off home, thus proving theii* 

 stoutness and condition. Before breakfast 

 next morning the Colonel ^T.*ote an account of 

 this run to his father. Lord Egremont, which 

 he read to his visitor, in order that it might 

 be corrected, if needful. It finished thus : 

 ^' If Smith had found his fox at my kennel- 

 door, which they passed near, it would have 

 been one of the best and straightest runs I 

 ever saw ; but they had come when there at 

 least seventeen miles !" 



The account of this extraordinary run must 



