1 2 The Pytchley Hunt^ Past and Present, [chap. i. 



When ridden over tliey forget it sooner, and do not 

 take tlie injury so much to heart as tlieir ^' big brothers '^ 

 are in the habit of doing. These will frequently resent 

 the offence for an entire day, skulking about and doing 

 no work; whilst one of his "little sisters ''' will forgive 

 and forget a few minutes after having received an injury. 

 In more points than people are aware of, are hounds of 

 like passions with human beings. Like their masters, not 

 only are they loving, grateful or industrious, but they 

 form high opinions of their own abilities and give them- 

 selves airs so ridiculous as to be highly amusing to those 

 who are conversant with their habits. All who are 

 accustomed to hounds are often struck with the opposite 

 characters of those of one and the same litter. Mr. 

 Warde bred two puppies in 1787, Alfred and Audrey ; 

 the former was the wildest and most difficult hound to 

 break he ever had ; the latter was steady from the first 

 and gave no trouble, and her master used to say of 

 her, '' When the rest are of no use, Audrey is my best 

 friend." During a fair hunting-run, one day, from 

 Sandars Covert to Holcot Bridge, a puppy was observed 

 by one of the field to be following on the line when some 

 of the older ones had failed to acknowledsfe it. " That 

 will make a good hound, some day. Will," said the gentle- 

 man who had noticed the performance, to the Huntsman. 

 "Yes, sir," was the reply, " if what he has just done 

 doesn't make him too conceited/' At the time when 

 hard riding first came into vogue, and Mr. Warde's big 

 hounds began to be voted "slow," the Meltonians were 

 in the habit of speaking of them as " Warde's jack- 

 asses ;" but they never brayed without reason, and were 

 so much better on cold-scenting days than the smaller 



