28 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



field and not for the show-bench — as was the case with 

 the majority of the entries in so-called sporting classes 

 in the show — carried off practically everything in the 

 shape of awards in their particular class. Grand hunters 

 are these old-fashioned otterhounds, with noses keen as 

 razors to puzzle out a cold or patchy " trail," while their 

 " music " is simply superb. They lack something, 

 perhaps, of the drive and dash of the foxhound, which is 

 so very generally used for otter-hunting nowadays, and 

 by which many a M.O.H. swears ; nevertheless, to some 

 of us who are old-fashioned enough in our sporting ideas 

 to think that otters should be hunted by otterhounds, and 

 foxes by foxhounds, a stolen day — alas ! how few and 

 far between those days have become — with a pack of 

 pure-bred otterhounds is very delightful. On the other 

 hand, however, some of our longest and best otter hunts 

 have been with mixed packs consisting chiefly of fox- 

 hounds with a few couple of rough otterhounds. We 

 have also seen a small pack of Welsh harriers acquit them- 

 selves remarkably well after being entered to otters. 

 But enough of this " babbhng." Let us push on to 



G d Bridge, where the local pack is to meet this 



morning. We are late already; there are otters in the 



River C , and if hounds " strike and trail " before we 



get up, they may run clean away. 



The pack ranged on the quaint, old-time bridge; the 

 M.O.H. and his staff clad in serviceable blue flannel 

 jackets, breeches and stockings, and wearing each a 

 gold-mounted otter pad in their caps, while their studded 

 boots are perforated with holes to let the superfluous 

 water out as well as in; and the little knots of keen- 

 looking sportsmen and sportswomen eagerly discussing 



