MR. GEORGE OSBALDESTON 107 



possible — there was one famous hound at Quorn called 

 Vaulter, which was walked by one of the Squire's tenants 

 in Yorkshire, and when he was sent in a note came with 

 him to say that he should make a good hound, as he had 

 eaten the mistress's prayer-book. Mr. Osbaldeston's 

 packs, however, had two faults, and in pointing them out 

 Mr. Grantley Berkeley was right — they ran quite mute, 

 and were impatient on a middling scent. Their muteness 

 was ascribed to the strain of Sir Thomas Mostyn (who 

 hunted what is now the Bicester country), Furrier being 

 by one of his stud-hounds which never threw his tongue ; 

 indeed, all Sir Thomas Mostyn's hounds were notoriously 

 mute. Their impatience on a poor scent is said to have 

 been engendered by the impetuosity of the field which 

 followed them. Nevertheless, the Furrier pack were 

 bred by Mr. Osbaldeston to answer a particular purpose, 

 and they answered it ; if they went away from covert 

 with anything like a scent and on decent terms with their 

 fox, they showed the best of sport. Such is contem- 

 poraneous criticism, though perhaps there is no pack in 

 the United Kingdom which would not run under similar 

 conditions. 



It is well known, however, that Mr. Osbaldeston 

 spent much of his time in kennel, and report says that his 

 hounds were under such control as would almost have 

 satisfied the authorities in these dog-muzzling days ( 1 898). 



It has been said that the words, " Bitches turn over," 

 sufficed to make the two sexes go apart ; but too much 

 credence need not be placed on the anecdote, since it 

 has been told of three or four kennels, while, to make the 

 story perfect, the dogs should at least have been as well 

 versed in English as the ladies of the kennel. 



The Squire thoroughly threw his back into hunting 

 the Quorn country, and he showed much excellent sport. 

 Hunting six days a week, however, made a strain upon 

 Mr. Osbaldeston's resources, and it was not long before 



