HOUNDS AND HORSES 255 



Shillets with the pack, and the hounds ran sheep, 

 killing several ; whereon * His Honour ' in his wrath 

 desired the huntsman to hang the whole of them and 

 then himself. Other masters since, beginning with 

 Sir Thomas's successor, have had to contend against 

 the same vice, the scratch pack especially, which he 

 was compelled by an outbreak of rabies to form in 

 1879, giving Mr. Bisset much trouble. It may be 

 that there is some affinity between the scent of the 

 moor sheep and that of the deer ; certain it is that the 

 young hounds want very careful breaking against this 

 propensity. I was never presented with a bill for un- 

 lawful mutton, and I have not heard of any of my 

 successors receiving one either, but any relaxation of 

 watchfulness would quickly bring disaster. 



The old pack disappeared in 1825, and with them 

 the old blood ; their successors have always been 

 foxhounds. The standard is 24^ inches, and they 

 come unentered from all parts of the country, 

 seldom more than two couple in a year from the 

 same pack. Uniformity of size, however, is secured by 

 the great height insisted on ; and this, coupled with 

 their long unrounded ears, gives the pack a character 

 of its own. Mr. Basset also got them very * sorty ' in 

 general appearance. Lord Graves in 1 8 1 2 pronounced 

 foxhounds ' from their nature altogether unqualified 



