JOHNA.SEAVERNS TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 3 9090 014 534 594 Webster Family Li Cummings Schco Tufts University 200 Westboro Road NorthGratton,MA01536 , Veterinary Medicine CI Voierinary Medicine a f^ 'ii' I /(',;/; HORSES AND HOUNDS: ^ J^racttcal Exznim ON THEIR MANAGEMENT. By "SCRUTATOR." ILLUSTRATED BY HARRISON WEIR. LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & CO., EARRINGDON STREET. NEW YORK: 18, BEEKMAN STEEET. 1855. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Demand and high price of -well-bred horses — Mistakes in selection of brood mares and bad economy in purchasing inferior animals — Hints on feed- ing yoimg stock, especially during the winter — Superior value of horses to other stock — Paddocks — Feeding — Exercise ... p. 1 CHAPTER II. Treatment of mares during gestation and foal-bearing — Management, diet, &c. , of the young foals ; arrangements of the stable and paddock for both — Mistakes as to early discipline, and consequent injury to the future steed — Careful management as to the hoofs, as well as use of a moderately loose rein, highly necessary — Mistakes of ordinary coach- men on the latter subject — Suggestions for improvements in harness — All irritative measures to be avoided p.l2 CHAPTER III. Worms in young horses, and their cure — Various prescriptions — Early training at the bar, and moderation to be used — Grreat care to avoid causing inflammation while breaking in — How to stop a horse whose rider has been thrown — Ingenious cure of one that refuses to pull — Young draught horses should not be put to heavy weights — Directions how to manage young hunters across country, especially in leaping — Use of loose boxes, and large stables — Extremes of heat and cold to be carefully avoided — Clipping p. 19 CHAPTER IV. Railways not injurious to the demand for draught horses — Comparative safety of the coach and the rail — Experience in coach accidents — Proper feeding for draught horses — Objections to the old hay-lofts — Different qualities of hay, proper season for making it — Objection to hay-making machines — Improvements introduced by Lord Ducie — Manure — Plough horses, and their hours of work — Difference of diet according to occupation — Value of wheat and other provisions, and of manure p. 27 iv CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. Quantity of com to be given under diflferent circumstances— IVIiscliievous consequences of over-feeding, and fallacies of quackery — Exercise should supersede medicine as much as possible — Objections to over- sweating — Ventilation of stables — Means of removing ammoniacal smells — Proper declivity of flooring — Dangerous effects of damp — Care respecting water, its quality, quantity, and time of being given — Dressing and grooming — Treatment of horses analogous to our treat- ment of ourselves — Digestion necessary before exercise — ^Treatment on returning from hunting — Washing and rubbing — Mistakes in ban- daging— Cold water beneficial both to man and beast . . . p. 34 CHAPTER YI. Essentials for dressing and cleaning a horse — Clothing to be suited to tem- perature and time of year — To be changed in order to ensure its dryness — Separate cleaning-rooms — Too much artificial treatment pre- judicial—Dangers of sudden heats and colds— Death of a horse through inflammation induced by wrong treatment — Another anecdote — Absurd trouble taken by grooms, and unhealthy habit of hissing, puffing, and blowing while rubbing down the animal — Amusing mistakes, but ulti- mate success of a sailor turned farmer — Ancient laws for the proper treatment of old horses, and want of similar humanity in the present day — Instances of ill-treatment of old horses — Anecdote of Charles, Duke of Calabria p. 40 CHAPTER YII. On summering in loose boxes — Various accommodation and means for so doing — A horse requires relaxation as well as a man — Abundance of water necessary — Instance of insatiate thirst — Thirst often caused by irritating over-doses of medicine — Frequent death of horses from in- judicious physicing— Subject of summering continued — Loose boxes sometimes a tolerable substitute for turning out — Diet — Over- cramming during the summer to be avoided — Young grass the best and gentlest purgative — Care required when a change is made from green to dry food — Prejudices of some persons against turning out to grass — ■ Practice and experience of the author in reference to summering — Observations of Nimrod p. 47 CHAPTER YIII. Kemarks on the selection and purchasing of horses — Tricks of dealers — Change in the teeth as age advances — Disposition ascertainable from the appearance of the eye — Characteristics of the form indispensable to constitute a good hunter, as distinct from those of the carriage- horse — Details to be considered as to the neck and shoulders — High CONTENTS. V action horses objectionable, as also horses "in at the elbows" — Trial necessary in purchasing horses, and benefit of experience in effecting a purchase — Little time required to know a good horse from a bad — Points to be observed in their appearance — Length necessary, but under certain restrictions — Diseases and impeifections ; such questions best referred to the veterinary surgeon^ — Difference among the pro- fessors of that science — Curious instance — Arguments derived from sweating, and cause, symptoms, and effects of lameness in horses — Danger of the lancet in inexperienced hands — -Use of fomentations — Rules for bleeding — The "speedy cut" — Instance of it while at Oxford — Causes of broken knees ; Dangers of the wood pavement — Their treatment — Diseases of the feet — Windgalls — Cuts, and their treatment — Great care requisite in the use of the irons — Causes of internal unsoundness ; broken wind — Disadvantages and proper treat- ment of "roarers" and "whistlers" — Use and treatment of broken- winded horses — Conclusion p. 52 CHAPTER IX. for hunting that have since become extinct — Fox-hunting the substi- tute for that of animals of a higher class — Its antiquity — The sheep dog the prototype of the canine race — -Goldsmith's theory thereupon, and its probable explanation — Curious and loose definitions of Lin- naeus and Dr. Johnson — Kefutation of the theory of the sheep dog's claim to antiquity — General views of the species ranged under the respective genera of animals — The greyhound or gaze-hound — Another theory of the origin of breeds of dogs, and probable reasons for the difference p. 61 CHAPTER X. On the economical management of a pack of fox-hounds — The necessity of early practical knowledge relative to kennel and stable exemplified — Necessity of avoiding damp — Care taken of the New Forest hounds — Kennels should be surrounded by a wall, if possible — Lodging rooms, courts, &c. — Expense of construction p. 66 CHAPTER XI. Change in the hours of meeting — Difference in the breed of foxes, and in the speed of the race -horses of the old and the modern school — Eclipse and Flying Childers — Number of stallions in 1777 — Faults in the present system of fox-hunting — Quotations from Markham — Condition of hounds in different countries — Reasons for the change in foxes p. 71 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIT. How to form a pack of fox-hounds — Best kennels in the present day — Mr. Assheton Smith's, Duke of Beaufort's, Lord Fitzwilliams', Earl of Yar- borough's, Lord Bentinck's, &c. — Faults to be avoided in forming a selection, and treatment while young — Hare-hunters to be avoided — Mistakes of sportsmen respecting the identity of foxes and hares — Desci'iption of a lot of draft hounds, and of the respective character of each dog- — Bad choice made by young huntsmen — Price of draft hounds as contrasted with that of good ones p. 76 CHAPTER XIII. Huntsmen, whijipers-in, and feeders — The distemper, its prevention better than its cure — Means thereof — Exercise and air the best means of pre- vention— Story of a donkey » ... p. 82 CHAPTER XIV. Necessity of judicious breeding — Choice of bitches — Fine symmetry of the fox-hound — Popular mistakes of the present day — Mr. Ward's skill in breeding — Time of breeding — Curious variations in the generations of hounds — Necessity for choosing good sires — Difference between "fast" and "quick" hounds — Management and feeding of the brood bitches- Selection and treatment of the whelps - Diet and medicine for puppies — Premiums for best brought up hounds at walks— Names should be given early to each young hound — Pro^jer habits in a feeder exem- plified— Symptoms of, and remedies for, the distempers and for inflam- mation of the lungs p. 85 CHAPTER XV. judgment to be exercised in feeding — Bleeding and dressing — Prejudices of huntsmen — Beckford's remarks on dressing — Economy as to use of meal — Injudicious bleeding — Use of vegetables during the summer — Brushing, swimming, and ifeeding — Rabies canina, or hydrophobia — Fits occasionally mistaken for it — Cures of hydrophobia mentioned by old writers p. 93 CHAPTER XVI. Instances of decided hydrophobia in the author's own kennel — Treatment of a bite under such circumstances p. 100 CHAPTER XVII. Canker in the ear — Spaniels and Newfoundland dogs particularly subject to it — Treatment of it — Treatment of red mange — For sore breasts — CONTEXTS. Vll For cuts or bites — Barbarous treatment of bruised feet — Remedies for rheumatism — Use of oatmeal as food — Manner of keeping it — Its superiority to all other diet, even for labouring men — Manner of boil- ing it — Carcases of horses which have died of disease to be avoided — *' Graves" little better than poison — Insides of sheep form wholesome diet — Bad carcases often purchased for the sake of the perquisites — • No occasion for the whip at feeding hours — Ought to occupy at least an hour p. 104 CHAPTEE XVIII. •'Food should be proportioned to work," and regulated according to the season — Tissues of the body exhausted by violent exercise — Illustra- tions of mode of treatment, and making of the "puddings" — Neces- sity of air and exercise — Walls of kennels to be frequently white- washed— Means of preventing fleas, ticks, and dust — Proper kind of straw to be used — Use of neatsfoot oil supei'seded by cleanliness — Use of sulphur — Frequent brushing highly useful — Precautions to be taken in washing dogs — The use of the warm bath after hunting doubtful, as also the practice of swimming dogs in ponds and rivers — Example of the latter — Causes and treatment of eruptive diseases — Vacations and commencement of training season — Cub-hunting — An anecdote — Number of hounds necessary p. 108 CHArTER XIX. Bounding and education of young hounds — How to avoid their running deer — Mr. Ward's practice — Severity not necessary — Good behaviour of the author's own pack through a preserve — Exercise highly essen- tial— Cub-hunting — -A noisy whipper-in of no use — Earth-stopping — Wages to earth- stoppers in different parts of the country — Different breeds of foxes in England, France, and Germany . . . . p. 115 CHAPTER XX. On the duties, temper, and character of a huntsman — Mistakes of young huntsmen — A really good pack of hounds will kill foxes by themselves — Good whippers-in often make bad huntsmen — Laid up ill, and my whipper-in turned huntsman — Field pleased at first — Soon wanted my return — -The pack, on my resuming my place — Anecdote of John Ward — A good receipt for a conceited whipper-in — Jack and the Ghost p. 122 CHAPTER XXI. The duties of a whipper-in as to earths — SecoAd whip ; youths too fond of using it — How an old sportsman usually broke them in — The Pastor and Farmer Coulter — Tom, my whipper-in — Patience required in a VIU CONTENTS. master of hounds — Heading foxes — Every man out not a sportsman — Temper must be restrained in a master ; swearing quite unnecessary — Myself, when young, and Farmer Steers— On the yeomen and far- mers of England ; injudicious and unjust abuse too frequently levelled at them p. 130 CHAPTEE XXII. Hour of feeding — Difference of food and treatment — Animal food necessary — Number of hounds to form the hunting pack in field^ — On drafting hounds — One fault not to be overlooked — In what the strength of a pack of fox-hounds consists — Pack of hounds that hunted hare and fox — Horses and hounds of old school — Pack dividing, and each killing their own fox p. 136 CHAPTER XXIII. Place of meeting — Where it is best — The master should keep and follow his own counsel — Fox without a brush — Run with the same, and death — ■ Hour of meeting to be strictly attended to — The proper place for first and second whip— Confidence of hounds in a huntsman ; cruelty and roughness utterly misapplied — Different ways of di-awing — Foxes, like dogs, sleejiy in windy weather p. 142 CHAPTER XXIV. Draw where you are most likely to find a fox — Morning best time for scent — Fair play to a fox, contrary to Beckford's opinion — No hallooing and whooping on first finding — Most likely places to find foxes early in the season — Hounds spreading wide — Upon drawing coverts and the places and business of whippers-in — Famous hound from Sir T. Mostyn's kennel — Mr. T. Palmer and " Drops of Brandy" — Dinner at his house — Deputy — Old favourites never neglected — Anecdotes of "Old Pilgrim" p. 148 CHAPTER XXY. Laws of fox-hunting — The whole question a lex non scripta, but a matter of custom— How countries are formed and held — Coverts — Eight of master to dispose of them — Right to draw a neighbouring covert — Manner in which coverts may become lapsed — Twenty, if not seven years' undisputed possession, a legal title to a country — Mr. Assheton Smith and the Craven country — -Sir John Cope, in Collingbourne woods — The right of earth -stopping — On running into a neighbour's country — Necessity of good feeling in neighbouring huuts, propriety of forming a club, analogous to the Jockey Club, for the decision of dis- putes as to title of country — Lord Hawke's attempt — Advantages of the existing laws of fox-hunting — Tricks of keepers in destroying foxes by vermin traps p. 155 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER XXVI. On game-preservers — Food of foxes not confined to game — The real •wild, good fox not a frequenter of hen-roosts — Old woman and fox " in a cradle," at Castlecoomb — Dainty taste of foxes in relation to Lord 's venison — Another story, equally true, as to their taste for pork — The real story — Foxes less gluttonous than is usually believed — A novus homo — The battue system — Severity in the prosecution of poachers — Comparison between the battue and the fox-hunt . p. 161 CHAPTER XXVII. On the destruction of vermin ; traps and other contrivances for destroying them — The marten, polecat, stoat, weasel ; difference between the two latter — Mistakes of gamekeepers — Owls comparatively useful ; hawks and kites not to be spared — Common house cat, crow, magpie ; methods of entrapping them — The battue system may be allowed, but not defended — Every country gentleman may preserve his game, and yet exercise the greatest liberality and forbearance — Anecdote of a notorious poacher — Other stories illustrative of the troubled state of the country during the author's younger days p. 168 CHAPTER XXVIII. Difficulties during a fox-chase, and best means of overcoming them — Dif- ferent behaviour of huntsmen to their hounds — Knowledge of the country essential — ^Difference between foxes early in the season and after Christmas — Relative speed of fox and fox-hound — The run — Death of the fox — The first check the most critical — Mischief of "going to halloos" — Consequence of so doing — Difficulties overcome by perseverance — A scene worthy of Landseer p. 176 CHAPTER XXIX. Of hounds that run wide — Running the foil — A month's hunting in an- other country — Run after, and death of a fox that had baffled the huntsman three years — -The author treated to the worst fixtures — Death of a second old fox — Always attended to my hounds' dinner before my own — A sporting divine — Various remarks and anecdotes — Pursuit of a fox running with a rabbit in his mouth . . . p. 183 CHAPTER XXX. Instead of a treatise on the art of catching foxes, I give an account of some runs in Mr. Slowman's country — His pack of hounds — Helping them to a fox, not a vixen p. 190 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXI. Reputation throughout the neighbourhood — Sport in Mr. Slowman's country continued — The "Artful Dodger" out-manoeuvred — New method of bolting foxes — A burst and a scramble — Hounds over-running their foxes — A cast forward not the most likely to recover the scent — Case in point — Bob and his friend — Casualties at a brook — Treeing foxes — Terriers in a di'ain — Loss of a couple of hounds for ten days, and their extraordinary recovery p. 197 CHAPTER XXXII. Last day in Mr. Slowman's country — Departure for home — Hounds out of blood out of heart — Short days and short work necessary to recover them — Digging out a fox occasionally to be given to the hounds as an encouragement — Number of foxes' noses on kennel door no proof of sport — Foxes shy animals, particularly old ones — Curious instance of a fox evading capture in a rabbit pipe — Fast skuriy over the downs — Open and enclosed countries — A good woodland day elicits the quality of the pack— My own hounds — Kind treatment recommended, p. 206 CHAPTER XXXIII. Beckford ; his theory and practice — Hounds should not be struck unless in the act of committing a fault — Severity censured, even in the educa- tion of boys — Leading and driving — Shying the result of harsh treat- ment— Difficulties in hunting a new country — Knowledge of his business necessary to every master of fox-hounds — Hunting establish- ments— Expenses of fees and extras — :0n purchasing horses — Best food for dogs generally p. 213 CHAPTER XXXIV. Beckford' s advice respecting stormy weather — Master of fox-hounds con- sidered as a servant of the public— Not to take out young hounds on very bad and windy days — Losing our pack on such an occasion — A cool and easy fox — Earth-stopping, and habits of foxes in bad weather — The fox-catcher, and his manoeuvres — Scratch packs general re- ceivers— Countries should be regularly hunted, good and bad places in succession — Woodland foxes p. 220 CHAPTER XXXV. Remarks on scent p. 227 CHAPTER XXXVI. Is a fox a good judge of scent ? — Method of catching his game — A visit to De Ville — Stoat and rabbit — Dog foxes in the spring of the year — Effect of heat upon them p. 234 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XXXVII. Greyhound foxes — Lord Drumlanrig's run — Proposed show of fox-hounds at Tattersall's, as well as advertisements of stallions — Advantages of a Club — Choice of a President — Prizes — Changing foxes — Finish of a run in the dark — Strange place of refuge for a fox— A first-rate whipper-in of even more consequence than a first-rate huntsman — Scene in a lady's drawing room — Refuge in the chimney, and success- ful dislodgment p. 238 CHAPTEH XXXVIII. Difference between wild and woodland bred foxes — Difficulty sometimes of making thefn break covert — Various experiments — The "black bitch" — Smoking them out — Changes and expenses in hunting establish- ments at the present day — Kennels in the grass countries — Sham and real friends to foxes — Vixen and cubs — Earth-stopping in March — The whippers-in ought to visit the earths — Episode of Jim, . . p. 245 CHAPTER XXXIX. Tricks of keepers — A master of fox-hounds ought to possess manifold knowledge, as his business is most various in its demands — Farmers generally favourable to fox-hunting — Jim and the farmer's daughter — Foxes which lie idle easily disposed of — The weather constantly blamed for bad sport, without reason — Foxes should have a fair start — The wild system of the present day condemned — Gentlemen huntsmen — "Blood will tell" — Mr. Delme Radcliflfe — Mr. Osbaldestone — Assheton Smith — Not indispensable that a gentleman should always feed his own hounds — Lord Darlington and Mr. Meynell — Feeding hounds after hunting — Quotation from the author of the "Noble Science" — Fox- hunting not intended to be the sole business of life — Whippers-in who have lived under gentlemen huntsmen — Hills and the two Tread- wells . p. 252 CHAPTER XL. On trapping foxes — How to foil fox-killing keepers — Bag foxes— DiS'erence of scent — Run with one — Riding too close upon the pack — Hard riders and good riders to hounds — Advice to young sportsmen — The balance seat — Look before you leap into a pond — A good rider should never part company with his horse, unless both are down together — The Centaur seat p. 259 CHAPTER XLI. On riding to hounds — A jealous sportsman — Light and heavy weights — A sporting Baronet — Training hunters — Irish method — Making the most of your horse — Steeple-chasing and calf-hunting condemned as cruel and absurd — Easter Monday — Her Majesty's stag-hounds in the New Forest — The meet and finish , . p. 267 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XLII. On the management of young hounds when first coming into kennel — Pre- judices of huntsmen — Air and exercise — Fox-hunting an antidote to melancholy — A few remarks on hare-hunting — ^Hounds best suited to this sport — Huntsman and whipper-in — Peculiar knowledge requisite for breeding hounds successfully — The late Mr. Ward — Harriers should be kept strictly to their own game p. 275 CHAPTER XLIII. Advantages of hare-hunting in some respects over fox-hunting — Reduction of expenses in fox-hunting establishments to meet the times — Mr. Yeatman and his pack of harriers — Unfair prejudices against hare- hunting — A random shot at fox-hunters — Liberality the true spirit of fox -hunters — Liberal game preservers — The Squire of C*****n — Foxes do not live upon game only — Letter from an old fox-hunter — Artful keepers turning down foxes when the hounds meet to draw their pre- serves— Way to detect such practices p. 282 CHAPTER XLIV. On bag-foxes — Scratch packs hunting them — An old fox-hunter convicting a master of harriers of his mal-practices — Improving our breed of foxes — Run with a dark-coloured fox — List of hoimds on hunting days — Diary — Effects of bathing hounds after hunting . . p. 291 CHAPTER XLV. Estimates of expenses of a fox-hunting establishment — Wages, food, and allowances — Quality of land — Expenses for two days a week — Selec- tion of hunters — Objection to "screws" — Other items of expense — Saddles, bridles, rugs, &c. — Economy may and should be observed — Reasons for leaving out of the list the farrier — The huntsman's book, or annual bill — Earth -stopping, and fees to keepers — Advantages of the old system in preventing needless extortion — Proposals for a remedy of the evil — Opinion of Mr. Delme Radcliffe . . . p. 296 HOESES AND HOUNDS: A PEACTICAL TEEATISE ON THEIE MANAGEMENT. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER OIS" THE HORSE. Illi ardua cerrix, Ai'giitumque caput, brevis alvus, obesaque terga; Luxuriatque toris animosiun pectus : honesti Spadices, glaucique." — Virgil, Ge. iii. 79. Demand and higli price of well-bred horses — Mistakes in selection of brood mares, and bad economy in purchasing inferior animals— Hints on feed- ing yoimg stock, especially during the winter — Superior value of horses to other stock — Paddocks — Feeding — Exercise. From the high prices which well-bred horses of good form and figure have commanded, for many years past, and still maintain, it is matter of sur])rise that breeding this kind of stock, as a system, has not been more generally adopted by the enlightened agriculturists of the present day. Good hunters have always sold at a high figure, but it is no unusual circumstance to find carriage horses in the hands of our London Job Masters, at the present moment, valued at 300 guineas the pair. Good weight-carrying hunters are always in request, for which from 200 to 300 guineas is not an unusual price realized by dealers. Horses of this descrip- tion, however, are seldom met with out of the great northern districts, Avhich have hitherto produced the finest animals ; and to the great fairs at Horncastle, Rugby, and other places, dealers from all parts of England, and the continent also, are attracted to make their purchases. In the midland and western counties, few good horses are ever produced by farmers, and the reason assigned is, that it does not pay them to breed horses. I admit that it does not, and never will pay them to raise such animals B 7 5 2 HORSES AND HOUNDS. as are generally found in tlieir possession, the value of wliich rarely exceeds thirty pounds ; but, as many writers on the horse have assumed, tliat the Equine race thrive best in genial lati- tudes, there is no reason why as good animals should not be raised in the south, as in the north of England ; in fact, as far as climate is concerned, the southern parts of the country ought to surpass the northern in the production of this kind of stock. But the real cause of failure lies in the breed and form of the brood mares, and the little attention paid to their offspring. Were farmers to pay as much attention to the selection of pro- per animals for this purpose, as they do to their other kinds of farm stock, the result would be very different. I have known from twenty to thirty guineas given bj^ farmers of enterprise for good three-year old heifers of the short-horned, or Durham breed ; and from fifty to ninety guineas for a yearling bull of the same sort. Good Leicester and Southdown rams often sell from thirty to one hundred pounds. But if you w^ere to advise a man to lay out thirty or forty pounds, or even twenty, in the purchase of a clever well-bred brood mare, he would tell joii that " he should never see his money again." And why not ? Let him only pay the same attention to his horse, as he does to his cow, or sheep stock, and I will answer for it that he is not disappointed, supposing, of course, that he is a man of sound judgment. Let us just compare the cost of raising and fatten- ing a Durham bullock, which is to be handed over to the butcher at three years old, with that of a four-year old colt, put- ting the prime cost of their dams at the same price. I am not going to recommend any extraordinary care or expenses, well knowing that I should, on that account, be met in limine with the old reply — " It wont pay." Well, then, we will endeavour to point out what tvill pay, v/ithout building expensive loose boxes, making fine paddocks, and feeding upon an unlimited quantity of oats and beans all the year round. This system we must allow to remain where it is at present, and is likely to continue, with gentlemen amateurs, and breeders for the turf. To agriculturists generally it would be a mere waste of paper to recommend any such plan, except in a very modi- fied degree. More on this subject I reserve for masters of foxhounds, and sporting men, who supply their studs from their own stock. A Durham calt, to be reared to a large size, will consume the whole of its mother s milk up to a certain period, and when weaned will require, as a substitute, a good allowance of linseed tea, or mucilage. Tlie foal will subsist for two or three months upon its mother's milk, with what grass it ca.n pick up whilst at pasture. The keep of a mare and cow in HORSES AND HOUXDS. 3 this state I consider to be about equal. From the first of November we may consider the winter to have commenced, and after that time both cattle and horses should be removed from their pastures into a well-protected yard, with sheds round it. The calf will now require at least half a hundred weight of barley meal, or oil cake, per week, in addition to hay and tur- nips. The colt we will allow two bushels of bruised oats mixed with chaff, and the same quantity of hay as the calf, substi- tuting a few carrots in the place of the turnips. The cost of the barley meal and the oats will amount to the same, so that the two animals will proceed pari passit as to the expense of their extra food. This mode of feeding' should continue for twenty-six weeks, involving an outlay of six pounds ten shillings for each animal independently of hay and roots. The question now is, will the yearlings pay for this treat- ment ? In my own opinion, there cannot be any doubt of it. By well keeping young cattle the first winter they may be forced to great w^eight and size, and be ready for the market at three years old instead of four. The horse will require another year before he is saleable, but unless w^ell treated the first winter, which is always the most trying for young animals of all kinds, he will not arrive at perfection of growth or shape. Having now reached the month of May, we will, to save the farmer any further trouble, turn the two animals out to pasture, only stipulating that they shall have a shed to take shelter in from heat and storms, and if for the first fortnight a few bruised oats be allow^ed the colt night and morning, and the like quantity of meal and cut-hay chaff to the steer, no great damage will be done to his interest, or to that of the farmer. The same course is to be pursued the following autumn and winter, when the steer will consume more extra food as w^ell as the horse, whose allowance of corn may be increased if necessary by one bushel, making three per w^eek.* The second summer they will fare alike ; but in September the steer will require to be taken up from the pasture, and consigned to the bullock-pen for fat- tening. The allowance of oil-cake, barley meal, and roots, must now be administered with no sparing hand, and the extra quantity given to the steer will frank the horse through his third -winter. \Ye now come to the relative value of the two animals upon leaving the breeder's premises, the one for the shambles, the other for the dealer's, or gentleman's stables. The bullock, if well * This quantity of corn may by some be considered too much, but not so in r^y opinion, since without forcing colts the first and second winter, they will not attain \-igorous growth. — Scrutator. b2 4 HORSES AND HOUNDS. made out, may be worth about tliirty-five pounds. Tlie horse, at the lowest, will be worth sixty ; and may realize nearly, if not quite, three figures if purchased by a gentleman. This may be said to be '*' doing a horse" only in a very rough manner, after all. It may be so — but non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum.. Farmers, in a general way, cannot be expected to do more, and few, perhaps, will do as much. Let them, how- ever, try this plan first, and if it succeeds, of which, I think, there is scarcely a question, they v/ill then go a little further. I now turn to gentlemen breeders, still keeping on the side of economy. In a future chapter, I purpose instituting a compari- son between pasturing cattle and horses in the usual way, and the improved system of stall-feeding upon artificial grasses, Lucerne, vetches, &c. It is very desirable for every master of foxhounds to keep a certain number of good brood mares, from which he may derive a succession of young horses, to fill up the vacancies which will occur in his establishment. Without incurring any very great expense, such as purchasing high-priced thorough-bred mares, wjiich, if of any notoriety as successful racers, will alwaj^s com- mand a high figure, there are many to be met with of perhaps equally good pedigree, whose speed has not been sufficient to place theui in a high position as racers, but winch will, not- withstanding, serve the purpose of brood mares_ equally well, and ]n'oduce good hunters. The successful breeding of horses, as well as of hounds and all other animals, requires no small share of judgment as well as a thorough knowledge of all those points which, when combined, constitute what is commonly called symmetry. In breeding horses, there are also many other con- siderations to be attended to, besides shape and make. Both sire and dam should be of good constitutions, and free from any natural defect, in wind, limb, or vision ; accidental defects are of little consequence, — the loss of an eye, for instance, where there is no constitutional weakness or deformity in that organ. Broken knees, and other injuries to the limbs and feet, from accidental causes, are of little import in brood mares. Spavins and curbs are, however, highly objectionable; being generally the result of weakness in the hock joint. Even ring bones and sand cracks should be avoided. I once had a very fine brood mare with a sand crack, which I thought little of, and put her to a first-rate stallion ; the pro- duce was a remarkably fine colt, which, at four years old, became a splendid horse, and was in every respect calculated to make a first-rate hunter, but when broken in he became quite lame from the same cause, and was obliged to be consigned to HORSES AND HOUNDS. 5 the plough team. This proves how careful we should be in the selection of brood mares, as imperfections of every kind in the parents will generally, I do not say in every instance, descend to the offspring. Breeding for the turf and for the hunting- field are two distinct things, and good hunters maybe obtained from three parts bred mares, as well as thorough-bred ; but by breeding from the latter you have two strings to your bow, either to sell them at two years old to go into training, if likely to suit such a purpose, or to reserve them for your own establishment as hunters. Thorough-bred horses, moreover, command a much higher price in these fast days ; and the extra expense in the purchase of thorough-bred mares will soon be made good by the extra price to be obtained from their produce. Let no person, how- ever, delude himself with the idea that he can breed animals of any figure or size from the drafts which are generally made from racing establishments, many of which are sold at a very low price. These weeds, although ever so well bred, will never answer the purpose of brood mares, for which the finest animals should always be selected. A friend of mine once tried to raise a thorough-bred stock in this manner; he purchased some under- sized well bred draft fillies for about twenty-five pounds each, and sent them to the first-rate stallion of the day, sparing no expense ; paddocks and sheds were provided, and everything done to ensure success. I warned him of the consequence to no purpose ; in due time the produce arrived, and very prettj'" things they were to look at. For two years they were pampered and fed with everything they would eat, and then sent to a trainer. At the end of a twelvemonth they were returned to their owner as bad goods, and with a long bill to pay into the bargain ; my friend was exceedingly disgusted, and gave up his breeding establishment. For our purpose great speed is not of such vast importance, neither is it in the power of many to purchase winning mares, or even first class brood mares. Those of the second class will do very well, provided they have lasting qualities, and can maintain a fourth or fifth place in the race. Such mares, if put to a thorough-bred speedy horse, may and often do produce winners of large stakes ; in any case their stock will prove highly valuable as hunters. The first con- sideration with brood mares is size ; from weeds, I have already observed, nothing but weeds can be expected, — by which I mean, horses only suitable for hacks or to carry ladies ;— but by size I must not be supposed to mean overgrown leggy animals either ; a medium standard is always best; from fifteen hands and a half to fifteen hands three inches is sufficient height for any brood b HORSES AND HOUNDS. mare. As to points, tbey should be somewhat after tliis fasliion : the head small, neck rather long, shoulders lying back, back long, with good loins; the breast deep, with wide ribs; the fore-legs should be straight, standing clear of the body at the elbows. From the knee to the fetlock joint short, tlie pasterns also must not be too long; hind quarters lengthy and muscular, with good sound hocks. I have observed in most animals, that unless there is a certain length and depth in the flank, they will scarcely ever produce fine offspring. To use a phrase common amongst horse-dealers, a brood mare should be a roomy animal. Those which are high on the leg, with short bodies, will not, in my opinion, ever answer the purpose. I have made the attempt against my own conviction, merely as an experiment, and a failure was the consequence. Size and length in the sire will not compensate for the deficiency of those requisites in the dam. In six cases out of eight, the colt will follow tlie proportions of the mare, and so prevalent has been this opinion among good judges of breeding, that a famous breeder of race-horses once said of his mare, a very noted one, tliat it was of little conse- quence to what horse she was put, as she always produced a winner. There is a very old but true saying, " that blood will tell ;" brood mares should, therefore, be selected from good and well tried stock, of long pedigree. It is likewise a fact well known, that the bone of thorough-bred horses is different in its texture from that of a cart horse. The first is more solid, and consequently heavier than the latter, and even as to measure I have seen the experiment tried with a well-bred horse and a large cart horse, which proved in fiivour of the former, but perfection as to shape and make is seldom to be met with. In breeding, therefore, we must endeavour to make up for the deficiency of any good points in the dam, by the abundance or preponderance of those points in the sire. Temper also should not be overlooked, although men on the turf do not care much about the disposition of their racers, provided they have the dis- position and the power also to win. I once had a thorough- bred mare, of the very worst temper, which I rode for several seasons. She was almost unmanageable in the stable, and as soon as mounted, would kick furiously for a short time, but afterwards carried me quietly enougli, and by being calm and determined, I at last obtained conqilete control over her. Not so, however, with the groom. Slie always had a loose box, at the furthest end of the stable, to herself, but one night having by some means opened the door of her box, she rushed upon another mare in the adjoining stall, and began tearing her with lier teeth* A servant who slept in the house being awakened HORSES AND HOUNDS. 7 by this uproar in the stable, ran down, and endeavoured to drive her back to her own box, but she attacked him in turn, and he was obliged to run and call me up. Hastily putting on my things, I rushed down to the stable, and found this brute had bitten the other in a most fearful manner, and kicked her leg off. Upon hearing my voice she immediately left off, and became quiet, but the other mare was obliged to be killed at once. • This gave me a lesson not to keep bad tempers again. In a neighbouring hunt some years since, the proprietor of the establishment had a famous thorough-bred stallion, but of an infamous temper, and tins peculiarity descended in no mitigated degree to his stock, so much so, indeed, that several of them, when admitted into the hunting stable, were obliged to be thrown, before they could be mounted. Strange, however, as it may appear, the whippers-in preferred these bad-tempered horses to all others, for their superior qualifications as hunters, being resolute at their fences, fast and seldom beaten, even in the hardest day. I have likewise been told that when thrown from the saddle, these horses would sometimes turn upon their riders, and endeavour to tear them with their teeth. To ride hunting upon such tigers I should consider no very agreeable pastime, but that such was the fact, the authority from whom this infonnation came is sufficient guarantee. A bad tempered horse may be generally known by the eye, being rather small, with a heavy brow, feuch are often most resolute, both in the field and on the turf, but vice, whether in man, woman, or horse, should be avoided, as productive in the aggregate of more evil results than good ones, A horse is considered in his prime, from six to ten years of age, and for even a much longer time, he is capable of doing good service. Brood mares may be used as such until their fourteenth or fifteenth year ; some will last longer, but the pro- duce from animals aged beyond that period, will be diminutive. From young mares and old horses, fine stock will often be obtained, but I should never recommend breeding from two old animab. The next consideration is the number of brood mares neces- sary for the purpose, and the provision as to paddocks and sheds. The former question must depend upon the scale on which a hunting establishment is conducted, and the latter upon the expense the proprietor is inclined to incur. For a moderate hunting establishment, from four to six brood mares will be sufficient, provided they be well selected, of good pedigree, clever in make and shape, and, in short, such as 8 HORSES AND HOUNDS. can be reasonably expected to produce fine and promising stock. Some go to a great expense in making paddocks, erecting skeds, &c., for wliich there is no real necessity; and, as a matter of course, the greater the expenses in such things, the smaller will be the profits, when all these things are taken into consideration. Good paddocks may be fenced in, and sheds constructed to answer every necessary purpose, at a very moderate cost, A plat of healthy ground should be chosen, of even surface, and in a sheltered sitiiation. A quarter of an acre is sufficient space for each mare. The fence may be made of fir poles, placed upright, and high enough to prevent the mares having access to each other. The framework of the sheds, made of wood, and the sides closed up with gorse or wattled hurdles, with a frontage to the south. The ends of the pad- docks should be in a half circle ; all angles are to be avoided to prevent accidents to the mares in turning. The roof of the sheds should be of thatch, which is warmer in winter than tiles. In districts where stone abounds, the fence may be made of this material, and the sheds also, but good wattling, with gorse or straw, rammed down firmly between it, will form a very good protection against wind and rain. We now come to a point, at wdiich it is more than iirobable I shall be at issue with many breeders of horses in the present day. It must be, therefore, borne in mind, that the observa- tions I am about to make, on the feeding and general manage- ment of mares and their foals, and horses generally, are not intended, or indeed applicable to racing or training establish- ments. Our purpose is principally to breed for the hunting field, and at as little cost as is consistent with reasonable expectations. It has been asserted by some writers on this subject, that horses should be treated nearly, if not precisely, in the same manner as oxen and other cattle are treated by the enlightened agriculturists of the present day, that is to say, that they should be confined in paddocks, as oxen are in yards, from their earliest age, and kept in a fattening state, until placed in the hands of the breaker. Now, although somewhat of a farmer myself, I am not going to enter upon a discussion whether this system of " beef manufacturing," as it is popularly called, is a remunerating one or not ; my own impression being, that it is not, considering the very low price of fat stock. The chief, and in fact, sometimes, the only return made to the farmer, being in the extra quantity of manure thus produced for his farm, and which again produces so many extra bushels of corn when applied to the land. The treatment of horses and HORSES AND HOUNDS. 9 oxen has not, in my opinion, any affinity; the purposes for ■which they are intended being so widely different. By stall or box feeding, young cattle are brought into the market much earlier than in the usual course, being kept almost in a fatting state from the time they are calves, the object of the feeder being to keep them in as quiescent a state as possible, for the increase of fat or bulk. Yards and boxes are therefore the best places to carry out this object, with high feeding and a great variety of food. But wliat purpose is to be gained by making a three year old colt as fat as a bullock of the same age ? Horses are not sold by weight; the hand of a horse dealer is not directed to the flank or ribs of a horse, to feel how much fat there is, but to his arms and legs, to find what bone and muscle he possesses. The bullock is required to put on fat as quickly and regularly as possible. The horse should put on muscle and strength to ht him to carry the weight of another, as well as his own, and I think it can scarcely be questioned whether exercise is not as essentially necessary for this purpose in the horse, as quietude is of importance to produce the other and contrary effect with the bullock. Whoever has examined the arms of a blacksmith, or the legs of a porter, must be satisfied, that the constant exercise of the muscles in these limbs, is the cause of their strong development It has also been said, that horses can be kept at less expense all the year round, by having green food cut and given them in their paddocks. To this doctrine I cannot quite subscribe — when the costs of labour, cartage, &c., are taken into account — for green food, whether grass, vetches, or Lucerne, should be cut fresh every day, and in diy weather, or it will ferment, and be in that state more likely to produce viscous humours. The paddocks of which I have above written, are not intended to be occupied by the brood mares all the year round, but only from the end of October, to the beginning of April or May, according as the season may be, early or late. From the middle of April or beginning of ]\Iay, the mares should have the run of a large and dry field, with not very luxuriant grass in it, and open sheds to shelter them from the heat, or they may be caught u]) with their foals, during hot weather, in the day time, and led into their own paddocks, there to remain until the evening. The mares, when used to each other, will run quietly together, and I can only say my own brood mares were treated in this manner for some years, and no accident occurred, either to foals or dams. A bad temjiered mare must not, of course, be allowed to remain with the others, but from vicious tempers I would rather not breed at all. I am aware that the present system^ or 10 HORSES AND HOUNDS. at. least the system advocated by writers on the horse of the present day, are entirely at variance with my views and opinions, but I need only inquire whetlier this system has pro- duced, and is producing the tine animals which come from York- shire and Lincolnshire. Are these horses produced from pad- dock or box feeding'? With few exceptions, I think I may under- take to say that they are not ; neither in a general way will such a system be adopted, even by the enlightened agriculturists of the present day. Confinement in boxes and paddocks is not only not necessary, but I think certainly prejudicial to the growth of young horses. I once tried the plan of rearing young hounds at home in a large green yard ; fat enough they became, but in bone and muscle there was an evident deficiency ; neit]ier were they straight on their legs ; and I consider that this was owing to the want of proper air and exercise. Why then should not young horses suffer from the same cause, confinement in a small paddock, without the free exercise of limbs and lungs, which are of equal importance to them as to hounds, and even more so. Hardness and fulness of muscle cannot be obtained witliout constant exercise, in my humble opinion, and I think I have reason and common sense on my side. It is a different thing with those intended for the turf, which may be said to begin training almost as soon as they are foaled. Their work commences two years before a hunter would even be backed, and the severe training they go through requires the high feeding and artificial treatment they experience. That both their frames and constitutions are affected by this severe and early discipline there can be little doubt. How few, out of the large number of young horses, thus early entrusted to the trainer's hands, come out conspicuous for fine symmetry, or as successful racers ! There are more bad race horses bred and brought to the post at the present day, than at any period during the last century ; and I do not see that this proves very much for the judgment or system either, of our present breeders. Our forefathers were proud of bringing out fine and good animals, which would run a four mile course for heats. In the present day short courses are the fashion, and speed the chief consideration ; but for breeding hunters, give me rather a stout running horse than a speedy one. There are many horses good for half a mile, others good for a mile and a distance, but beyond that, good for nothing. Breeders of race horses only, can go on Avith their system of forcing their young stock in this artificial manner, but it is not necessary for our purpose. Horses for hunting should be of a certain age before they are subjected to the trial of a hard day with fox hounds. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 11 At five years old tliey may be capable of doing a fair day's work, but they do not arrive at their perfection of strength until seven. If at two years old, it can do no harm to canter a young horse in training over a mile course, with a feather weight upon his back ; by the same rule a young horse intiaided for hunting, should be allowed to canter or gallop at will, in a good large open pasture, and I will venture to say he will be all the better for it. My own brood mares and colts were treated in the manner I have thus described, and the result of my system of breeding was this, that for the drafts sold, which I considered unfit for hunting purposes, at four years old, I obtained, the lowest price thirty-five guineas, and the highest eighty guineas. One only was sold at the first low figure. Those I kept were, of course, the most valuable, and for one which I rode myself, I was oftered 200 guineas ; but price would never tempt me to part with a horse which suited me. By returning the brood mares to their paddocks, the end of October, and keeping them there until they have foaled, all risk of their injuring each other, when heavy, will be avoided, and until they become so, the more exercise, in moderation, the better. To all animals in a state of gestation, nothing is more injurious than confinement in small cramped places, and this alone is often productive of fatal consequences, either to the offspring or the mother, some- times to both. I could quote many instances to prove this fact, were it necessary, but we need only refer to the parturition of animals in a state of nature, to establish this point. The earlier foals are produced, the stronger they will generally prove. From the second week of February until the end of April are the best months. Those foaled during the summer are often weak, and require much more care throughout the ensuing winter, neither will they ever arrive at the same state of per- fection as the early bred. The treatment of mares and foals will form the subject of my next chapter. 12 nOKSES AND HOUNDS. CHAPTER II. Treatment of mares during gestation and foal-bearing — Management, diet, &c., of the young foals ; arrangements of the stable and paddock for both — Mistakes as to early discipline, and consequent injury to tlie future steed — Careful management as to the hoofs, as well as use of a moderately loose rein, highly necessary — Mistakes of ordinary coachmen on the latter subject — Suggestions for improvements in harness — All irritative mea- sui-es to be avoided. The treatment of mares before foaling requires particular attention, and, as at this season of the year, from the beginning of February until the end of April, there will be little grass available for the purpose of inducing a good flow of milk, it will be necessary to have recourse to other substitutes to pro- duce this effect ; carrots have been objected to by some, but my impression is, that the large white Belgian carrot is an excellent vegetable for horses almost at any time, and is of much milder properties than tlie common red kind. Swedish turnips also agree well with horses, who are, likewise, very fond of them • they should be cut into thin slices, having previously been well washed. It is needless to comment upon 'bran mashes, which have always been in such general use ; these may be given every other day, a fortnight before the mare's time of foaling expires, and if some bruised oats are added, they will be more readily eaten. The best way of preparing a bran mash is to pour boiling water upon the bran in a bucket, and cover it over ^^ ith a rug or cloth half an hour at least before it is used, the corn being mixed with the bran and steeped with it. Boiled barley is also an excellent article of food, being very nourishing and produc- tive of milk ; it should be well washed first, and then boiled until quite soft. Horses are also very fond of steamed potatoes, which may be occasionally given mixed with a small quantity of common salt. Mangel wurzel is also a very useful root, but must be given with caution, bei ng of a laxative nature ; but it is a great producer of milk, and to mares in foal I should prefer giving it boiled rather tlian in a raw state. Parsnips are a sweet 'and wholesome substitute for green food, although not very productive of milk. With some or all of these articles of diet, used alternately, mares may be kept in a healthy and cool state of body, with a good su])ply of milk, until Lucerne, or early grass can be obtained. They should be allowed the use of the paddock, unless in very bad weather, when they may be shut up in their sheds, and at night also; but, as I have before observed, exercise is essential HOKSES AND HOUNDS. lo to the production of healthy offspring, and no animal will do well without it. The floor of the shed should be littered over with straw, but not too thickly, so as to incommode the mare and foal when dropped. The parturition of mares is generally very easy, and they seldom require more assistance than any groom of common acquaintance with such cases can aftbrd, and in ten cases out of a dozen they will not only require no assistance at all, but are much better without the officious meddling of a would-be scien- tific professor of the veterinary art. " To let well alone," is a maxim which cannot be too often inculcated ; should, however, any difficulty occur, it is better at once to call in the assistance of some clever veterinary surgeon, than trust a valuable animal's life in the hands of an ignorant groom, or a not much more enlightened village professor. After the foal has been dropped, and the mare has performed the operation of licking it all over, a bucket of warm gruel should be given to her, and for the first two or three days warm water, with some mashes with bruised corn in them. jMares are generally very jealous of their foals, and should not be unnecessarily interfered with at this early period; the quieter they are kept the better, neither should more than one person (the man to whom she has been accus- tomed,) be admitted into the shed. Strangers will only excite and irritate her, and perhaps be the cause of injury to the foal. On the third day the mare and foal should be allowed togo in and out of the paddock attached to her shed, at will, if the weather is tolerably fine; but at this early age the foal should be protected from rain, which the woolly nature of its coat will retain for a long time, and cause illness. Although, however, every precaution should be taken to avoid exposure to rain and cold storms, yet I am no advocate for foals, when a week old, being kept too warm, or entirely under shelter; they will not be injured by exposure to cold drying winds or in frosty weather, by being allowed the use of the paddock in the middle of the day, but on the contrary, be hardened and improved by it ; and if not let out too early in the morning, or kept out too late in the evening, will advance rapidly in growth and strength. The milk of the mare has always a decided influence over the foal, and will produce, as she is fed, either a laxative or constipated state of bowels. If fed highly on corn and hay only, constipation will be the result to the foal, and if, on the contrary, with too many vegetables of a laxative kind, looseness will follow. It will therefore be necessary to regulate the food of the mare accordingly, without being obliged to admiaister physic to the foal, which should not 14 HORSES AND HOUNDS. be done unless a very feverish state of body absolutely requires it ; a clyster, in such a case, is the safest and most simple remedy. Should relaxation of the bowels approaching to diarrhoea occur, this may be counteracted by feeding the mare upon dry food only, for a day or two, with a few split beans in her corn. In case of eruptions breaking out, either upon mare or foal, it will be necessary to give sulphur for a day or two, in a bran mash ; but during this treatment all exposure to cold or rain must be avoided. Nitre is also an excellent alterative for horses, and can be given either in a ball or mixed with bran, or dissolved in water. Nitre and sulphur mixed, two parts of the former with one of the latter, form the best alterative for horses, and wdiich can be given in a bran mash. Sulphur alone is apt to open the pores of the skin too much, and in cold weather may be objectionable. As soon as the foal shows a disposition to eat corn, there should be a low manger appropriated to its own use, apart from that of the mare, and at first some bruised oats with bran may be given : to prevent the mare interfering with the foal, she should have her feed of corn at the same time, and be tied up. The earlier foals are handled the more tractable they will become, but there is no necessity for a head-collar being put on until they are weaned, and then it should not remain on longer than is necessary to accustom them to the use of it. Foals will soon become not only acquainted with, but attached to a good- tempered and painstaking man, and be rather more particular in their attentions than may be quite agreeable, and such a person may do almost anything with them ; they will soon follow him anywhere he may wish to lead them. There are no horses in the world more obedient and attached to their masters than the Arab, which may be said to form a part of the family from their earliest age, neither do they exhibit those vices which are so prevalent among our own breed of horses. The kicking and biting propensities so common among our thorough-bred stock are often induced and fostered by the mischievous dis- positions of the lads and grooms to whom they are intrusted. As soon as the weather is tolerably warm, and the grass begins to grow, about the end of April, the mare and foal should have the use of a large field, and be taken up in the evening. When the pasturage is plentiful, a feed of corn in the morning before they are turned out, and another in the evening when caught up and consigned to their paddock and shed, will be sufficient. It is of no use to pamper and feed foals with over quantities of corn at this early period, as they will attain sufficient growth "without it; all they require is good and nourishing food. Animals HORSES AXD HOUNDS. 15 of all kinds, witli moderate care, will arrive in proper time at the standard of tlieir parents, in this respect ft)llowing either sire or dam, generally the latter, and sometimes going back either in colour, shape, or make, to their progenitors. Nothing will be gained by over-forcing, except an overgrowth in some, which is anything but desirable, or an overload of fat in others. There is, indeed, a good deal of common sense in keeping young horses in, what is generally termed, a good growing and improving state. Everything beyond that is unnecessary in our department of breeding for the hunting field. Good heavy oats, we all know, are the most likely to produce muscle ; and two feeds of these during the summer, and three or four when the autumn commences, and up to the ensuing spring, will be amply sufficient to bring any foal up to a proper standard. Foals may be weaned early or late in the autumn, according to tlieir age, the state of their m.other and her milk. When the foal is weaned, the mare should be attended to, and if her udd^r become distended, the milk should be drawn off once a day. A slight dose of physic will, however, now be necessary also. Should the udder become hard, goose grease, or lard, should be rubbed in ; the former is one of the most penetrating ointments, or applications, that can be used, and is likewise of a drying nature. The lard has more softening and soothing qualities, and is generally more safe in its application to such tender parts. In case of inflammation, or the mare's being in a very feverish state, bleeding will be necessary. Should the mother be full of milk, and in good case, I should prefer letting the foal remain with her until the end of September, or beginning of October, in preference to stopping suddenly her full supply of milk. A foal, when weaned, requires a companion, and if no other can be found, a young donkey will answer the purpose. Fillies and colts of the same age will do well together, having a good roomy shed, and mangers, and racks for hay, placed in different situa- tions, so that they cannot interfere with each other ; but after the first winter, the fillies and colts must be kept separate, and even before, if the latter show any disposition to be troublesome. The first Avinter is always the most severe trial to all young animals, and if not well fed and attended to, their growth will receive a check, which they will never afterwards recover. _ Get them well over this, and launch them fairly in good condition in the following month of May, and little anxiety is necessary as to their future well doing. Vary their food during the first winter, and give them linseed tea. An excellent food is pre- pared by boiling linseed to a jjulp and infusing it over hay chaff* mixed with bruised oats. This is the most nourishing diet that 16 HORSES AND HOUNDS. any young animals can be fed on : it will not only keep tliem in good condition, but make tliem sleek and soft in their skins. During the winter months, the foals should be often handled, and they will soon allow themselves to be rubbed dry, if wet, and their feet to be taken up ; and for this purpose they should be entrusted to the care of a good-tempered and patient person. Boys are not to be trusted. When used to the head collar, they may be led about the paddock, and soon out into the field, and will require very little trouble afterwards in breaking. I may here mention, as a caution, that the head collar should not be allowed to remain on during the night, or longer than necessary during the day, as I have known accidents occur from foals en- deavouring to scratch them off, and getting their hind feet entangled in the throat lash. Their being only accustomed to the use of it, and being occasionally led about in the paddock or field, will be a sufficient commencement of discipline^ for the first season. It maybe thought scarcely necessary to impress upon any one, who is at all acquainted with the management of horses generally, the precaution that there be no accumulation of filth in the sheds, and that young horses require, as well as old ones, a suj»ply of fresh litter continually, as well as a good ventilation. The feet of colts, the first season, require little ttention, or, rather, meddling with. If dry or brittle, a little ard should be rubbed over them, mixed with a very small pro- portion of tar. If growing too long at the toe, they may be pared back, but I would not allow any blacksmith to interfere further, or touch the heel of the foot, as there is more mischief done by hollowing and cutting out this (as some village prac- titioners are in the habit of doing) than many are aware of. The frog of a horse's foot is his chief support, and everything that will weaken this should be carefully avoided : but by ignorant blacksmiths the frog is so pared down, that the chief weight of the animal is taken from the wide and even bearing of the frog and hoof combined, and thrown almost entirely upon the sides of the foot. The feet of foals should be as little interfered with as possible, and this first formation is the model to which the feet of horses throughout life should be as nearly as possible assimilated. I have known horses' feet so pared down, that the sole of the foot was not much thicker than a shilling, and thus the agony caused by stepping on a stone would throw a horse down. From the same cause arise corns. Instead of trying to im- prove nature, it would be much better if these wiseacres of black- smiths would be satisfied to conform to the model which is pre- sented them in the formation of a foal's foot. The ignorance of some village practitioners is only equalled by their obstinacy in HORSES AND HOUNDS. 17 resolutely following their own preconceived opinions, in oppo- sition to all advice which may be offered to them. Common sense and common observation are alike excluded from their general practice. When three years old, young horses should be taken more in hand. They may then be led out from home with a long rein attached to the bit, which should be a simple snaffle, with a rein also attached to a pad upon the back. This rein should only be sufficiently tightened to prevent the horse getting his head down too low, Eeining them up too tightly will occasion them to rear and throw themselves over on their backs. There is no greater cruelty practised with horses than with a tight bearing rein. Look at the carriage horses in London, cliamping and chafing upon their bits, with their heads kept in this unnatural position for hours together during the day, and yet no coachman appears to be aware of this cruelty, or point it out to his master or mistress. Upon cab and coach-horse proprietors some light appears at last to have broken, for we seldom now see their horses subjected to the cruelty of the tight-bearing rein. They have probably been taught by experience, that a horse can do much more work, and more easily to himself, by having his head at liberty. Should these humble pages meet the eye of any who delight to ride in fine carriages, drawn by richly capa- risoned horses, I trust they will not consider the observations I have made upon this point, as entirely beneath their notice. Whatever may be urged by their coachmen to the contrary, let this nuisance to their horses be abated. Let the bearing rein be only sufficiently tight, to i)revent the horse getting his head between his knees, and no evil consequences can follow. Let any one who is not satisfied with my remarks, only examine the mouth of any old carriage horse, which lias been thus treated, and he will soon be convinced by its unnatural elongation, al- most up to his back teeth, of the cruelty which has been so long, and so unnecessarily ijractised. Were a man's own mouth thus dealt with, it would soon extend from ear to ear — and, I must confess, I should like to see some of those gentlemen on the hammercloth, with a good thick piece of whip-cord tied from their mouths to the back of their heads, just for an hour or two in the day, to give them a taste of what their horses suffer. Docking, or nicking, that refinement in cruelty, to make a horse carry his tail up, has, at last, gone out of practice ; but I can well remember, in my boyish days, seeing a horse sub- jected to this torture, and, I trust, I shall yet live to see this other mode of torture also exploded. Great as have been the improvements in the management G 18 HORSES AND HOUNDS. and treatment of horses in late years, much yet remains to be done. Many alterations, I am satisfied, may yet be made in harness, and particularly in the collar, which is still unneces- sarily heavy — also in the saddle of riding horses, the tree of which, as now made, may, I think, be dispensed with. But I will reserve further observations on this point to a more fitting opportunity. Young horses of three j'-ears old may be walked about the country over uneven surfaces and fallows, which will teach them to lift their legs. Unless very refractory, there is no occasion of lunging them at this age, as they will have sufficient exercise in following a man about for two or three hours in the day — neither is there any occasion for a heavy lout of a fellow to be placed on their backs to break them in to carry. Half the work under the old system of lunging, until the horse was nearly ex- hausted, with the dumb-jockeys, cavesson, &c., can now be dis- pensed with ; a foal that has been properly treated, and gradually broken in by gentle hands, and gentle means, will require none of these rough usages, and a boy may be placed on its back without any fear of his even attempting to throw him oflT. There is a great deal of nonsense and trash talked, about " put- ting him on his haunches," making him " carry his head in the right pl:Ace," "giving him his mouth," &c., &c. The horse will go as he is formed, most easily to himself and to his rider. Some will naturally carry their heads high, and others low, ac- cording as the head is affixed to the neck, which an observant rider will soon discover ; neither can they be forced to carry them otherwise than thus formed, without inconvenience and pain to themselves. The mouth, however, may be formed by the judicious manage- ment of the bit, which, it may be observed, was never intended, as some imagine, to hold on by, but merely to guide a horse in the direction he is intended to go. There is more mischief done by an ignorant man pulling and hauling a young horse's mouth about tlian may at first sight appear. His mouth will become hardened by such usage, and will lose that sensibility of touch winch is the greatest recommendation and comfort in a saddle horse. I have seen colts reined up in a stall so tightlj^, and for so long a time, that they were obliged to rest and lean upon the huge bit placed in their mouths; and if such a custom is likely to give a horse a fine mouth, as it is termed, I must confess my ignorance in not being able to see any such result likely to hap- pen. From the first year, foals may be accustomed to have a small rug placed on their backs (after being rubbed over), with a roller ; in fact, a quiet man may do anything with them, and HORSES AND HOUNDS. 19 place a boy on their backs if necessary, or make tbem put their fore feet in his pocket if he likes. It requires no lion-tamer to break in a quiet little domestic animal of this kind ; its educa- tion, if required, might as well be effected in three weeks, as in three years. It is quite a different affair, I admit, with a raw- four year old colt, which has been running wild, and never been touched or handled, but even such an one I would undertake to break and mount within a week, without breaking his heartby lunging, or his back by over-weight. The breaking and backing may be soon effected, and I would make him lie down to take me up, if I required it ; but there is a good deal requisite after that to make a young horse, and to instruct him to move in his paces as you wish. All must be accomplished by steadiness, gentleness, and perseverance, and without these nothing will ever be effectually done. CHAPTEK m. Worms in young horses, and fheir cure — Various prescriptions — ^Early train- ing at the bai', and moderation to be used — Great care to avoid causing inriammation while breaking in — How to stop a horse whose rider has been thrown — Ingenious cm-e of one that refused to pull — Young draught horses should not be put to heavy weights — Directions how to manage young hunters across country, especially ia leaping — Use of loose boxes, and large stables — Extremes of heat and cold to be carefully avoided — Clippmg. Foals are very subject to worms, which will prevent their growth, unless speedily destroyed. A rough coat, excessive appetite, with a short dry cough, are generally signs of the animal being affected with these parasites, which are sometimes very difficult to remove. A pint of linseed oil, with a table- spoonful of spirits of turpentine, given two or three alternate mornings, fasting, is a very simple and efficacious remedy for this purpose. Calomel may be resorted to, should this fail, but I am always an advocate for simple prescriptions with young animals. Calomel is a powerful medicine, and requires careful treatment ; and acting as it does upon the whole system, the foal will be more subject to catch cold. It must be also followed by an aloetic purge. From eight to twelve grains of calomel may be given to a foal, made into a small ball, with flour and honey, and a small quantity of finely powdered ginger. To a yearling from twelve to eighteen grains may be given. As a purge, from one to two drachms of aloes, according to the size C2 20 HORSES AND HOUNDS. and strengtli of the foal, with half a drachm of Turkey rhubarb, and a teaspoonful of grated ginger. All horses, before physic is given, should be prepared by having bran mashes, and no hay or corn for at least twelve hours previously. Griping pains are often produced by a want of attention to this preliminary preparation. When a purgative ball is administered, the horse should drink freely of gruel or warm water, which will tend to allay any irri- tation in the intestines, and carry the effects of the medicine off more freely. Castile soap, combined with aloes, forms a very good dose where worms are supposed to exist, in the proportion of half a drachm to one of aloes. I see no necessity for horses, young or old, being physicked, before being turned out in the spring, as the young grass will certainly have that effect without the aid of medicine. When four years old, a colt may be broken in, and ridden about during the summer months by the whipper-in, which will render him handy and accustomed to hounds ; but he will not be capable of doing any severe work the first season, neither should he be regularly hunted until five years old. Having been exercised with the hounds the first summer, he should be consigned to his shed or loose-box, during the ensuing winter, and, by commencing with cub- hunting the following autumn, he will then be fit to take his place in the hunting stable. Some are too anxious to commence ox)erations with young horses at four years old, but if there is one year gained in this way, there may be several lost in another ; for by too soon taxing the powers of a young animal, many years of good after-service are often lost; whilst the muscles and sinews are still too pliable, and, I may say, half unstrung, there is, of course, more probability of the horse being overstrained. At the leaping bar young horses may have their first lesson, and I consider this an excellent mode of preparing them for the hunting field. The bar being covered with gorse, they should have half an hour's exercise at it, once or twice a week, not placed too high. This will teach tiiem to lift their legs clean, and instruct them how to take off, before coming to a fence or gate. In the first lesson, the bar should not be placed higher than the horse's knees; the man who leads the colt should walk over it first, and encourage him to follow by his voice ; another man, with a whip in his hand, should be behind to prevent his backing, buttlie whip should never be used unless the horse is positively restive ! The first lessons should be taken standing or walking, and if the horse is led half a dozen times over in this manner, tliis will suffice for the first day. He should then be patted and led HORSES AND HOUNDS. 21 away, Tlie next time the bar may be raised ratlier higher, and the horse trotted up to it. After three or four days' lessons, the bar may be raised as high as tlie horse's breast, but beyond this there is no occasion to advance ; neither should the colt be dis- gusted by too long a drill. When perfect in his lessons, a boy may be placed on his back, to ride him over, but care should be taken that the lad is a good rider, and can stick tight to the saddle or the cloth, for should the horse stop short at the bar, and throw his rider, the manoeuvre will be repeated. My own practice in breaking young horses, was to back them always first in the stable. A lad was made to mount and dismount from the colt for several times in succession, sitting on his back, talking to him and patting him. This lesson was persevered in for an hour, or until the horse was perfectly reconciled to the lad. He was then led out with him on his back. Sometimes a sack, containing two or three bushels of corn, was placed on the horse, to accustom him to carry weight, with which he had to stand in the stable for an hour or two at a time. Without the use of this dumb jockey, we had very little difficulty in thus breaking in our young horses ; neither did we have recourse to lunging them at all, which I think is generally practised by colt breakers, to save both time and trouble. As with old, so with young horses, walking exercise should alone be permitted at first, until they are got into tolerable condition for greater exertions. Walking over fallows, or up and down hill for two or tliree hours a day, will be found quite sufficient exertion to keep most young horses tolerably quiet, and they will thus gra- dually become inured to the weight they have to carry, and, when put to faster paces, go with more ease to themselves and comfort to their rider. Colts before being regularly broken in, should have, at least, two mild doses of physic, as a preventive against inflammation from overheating. I lost once a very valuable young mare from this cause, she having been, I think, over-ridden by the whipper-in, although he was generally a quiet, careful man. He had to go a few miles one day in the heat of summer, and was directed to walk the mare there and back ; but he must have departed from his instructions, as she was brought home in a violent heat, as I was afterwards informed, and inflammation suddenly taking place, she was dead the next day. In my father's time we had a plan of breaking in young horses to stand still when their rider was thrown, which in the present day may be characterised as partaking rather of cruelty, not to animals, but to boys. It certainly had the desired effect. We had a large field, enclosed by a high wall, round which tha 22 HORSES AND HOTJNDS. lads used to exercise their horses, with a thick rug only, doubled to sit upon. A single snaffle and a sharp curb bit were placed in the horse's mouth ; the former to ride and guide by. To the curb was attached a long single rein, which was placed in the boy s hand, or attached to his wrist. When the horse was in motion, either walking, trotting, or cantering, the lad would throw himselt off, holding only the long rein attached to the curb, the sudden pull upon which, when the lad was on the ground, would cause the horse's head to be turned round, and stop him in his career. The boy would then gradually shorten the rein, until the horse was brought up to him, then patting and caressing him, he would again mount. After a very few lessons of this kind, the horse would always stop the instant the boy fell, and remain stationary beside him. The lads, as well as the horses, were rewarded by my father for their proper per- formance of this rather singular manoeuvre, but I never saw or knew any accident occur. The horses thus trained^ proved excellent hunters, and would never run away from their riders when thrown, always standing by them until remounted. From the lads constantly rubbing and pulling their legs about, we had no kickers. When a boy of only fifteen, I was allowed to ride a fine mare which had been thus broken in, in company with the hounds. Being nearly sixteen hands high, I had some difficulty in clambering up and down, but wlien dislodged from my seat, she would stand quietly by until remounted, and appeared as anxious for me to get up again as I was myself. It may be said that all this was time and trouble thrown away, and that the present plan of riding a young four-year- old, straight across country at once, will answer the same pur- pose. My reply is, that a good education, either upon man, horse, or dog, will never be thrown away ; and, notwithstanding the number of horses now brought into the hunting field, there are still few well trained hunters to be met with. The horse, the most beautiful and useful of animals to man, is seldom suffi- ciently instructed or familiarised, although certainly capable of the greatest attachment to his master when well used, and deserving to be treated more as a friend than a slave. It is a general remark how quiet some high-spirited horses will become when ridden by ladies. The cause of this is, that they are more quietly handled, patted, and caressed by them, and become soon sensible of this difference of treatment, from the rough whip and spur system, too generally adopted by men. Our own plan of treatment combmes the suaviter in modo with i\\Qfortiter in re. Gentle and simple usage persevered in, even witii bad tempers, finally becomes triumphant. When a HOKSES AND HOUNDS. 23 yoimg liorse "setup his back," as the term is, and refused to proceed, he was held in that position with the lad on his back, and there kept standing for half an hour or more, until he was too glad to walk quietly on, when required. A gentleman in our neighbourhood having purchased a very fine carriage horse, at a high price, was not a little annoyed, upon trial, to find that he would not pull an ounce, and when the whip was applied, he began plunging and kicking. After one or two trials the coachman declared he could do nothing with him, and our neighbour, meeting my father, expressed his grievances at being thus taken in, and asked what he had better do. The reply was " Send the horse to me to-morrow morning, and I will return him a good puller within a week." The horse being brought, was put into the shafts of a wagon, in a field, with the hind wheels tied, and being reined up so that he could not get his head between his legs, was there left, with a man to watch him for five or six hours, and, of course, without any food. When my father thought he had enough of standing still, he went up to him with a handful of sweet hay, let down the bear- ing rein, and had the wheels of the wagon released. After patting the horse on the neck, when he had taken a mouthful or two of hay, he took hold of the bridle and led him away — the wagon followed — thus proving stratagem to be better than force. Another lesson was scarcely required, but, to make sure, it was repeated, and, after that, the horse was sent back to the owner. There was no complaint ever made of his jibbing again. The wagon to which he was attached was both light and empty, and the ground inclined rather towards the stable. It is scarcely necessary to mention the fact, but young draught horses should never have a heavy load behind them until they are well accustomed to the collar, and have their necks har- dened to its use. Almost all young horses, except those only of very tender mouths, require to be ridden with a curb as well as a snafile bit, the first season. In crossing country they require to be held in hand and assisted at their leaps. The silken thread is all very well for made horses, who know their business, but if a young horse is left to himself over heavy land, or at awkward fences, he will be soon all abroad, and his rider and himself on the ground or in the ditch. Horses should be put quietly at their fences, being pulled up into a trot before coming to them. When hunters rush at their leaps, it is a sure sign they have been badly educated, and ridden by men who have not the courage or patience to do things quietly. To pull a rushing horse up at his fence would be to ensure a rattling fall, and he can only be gradually broken in from this bad habit.. 24 HORSES AND HOUNDS. If pulled up; or prevented taking liis fences in his accustomed manner, lie will go at them sideways or any way, and a fearful fall to his rider wall be the consequence. The Irish are generally the best fencers, and for this reason, that they are broken to take their leaps in a standing position. There are some, many men I may say, who like to go fast at their leaps, being too nervous to take them coolly ; and I have known many good and hard riders with hounds, who cut very awkward figures without this excitement. Great attention is required in having young horses properly shod. The shoe should be neither so brittle as to break, nor so soft as to bend ; the size and width of it must depend in some measure upon the country. If a flinty one, strong and wide shoes will be necessary ; if, on the contrary, a stone brash,^ or sandy soil, a much lighter one will suffice. Yov ng horses, which have a long stride, and are inclined to overreach, should be shod short at the heel on the fore foot, and short aho on the toe of the hind one ; the inside of the shoe should also be bevelled off. Overreaches are sometimes very difficult to heal, and will throw a horse out of work for a week or ten days. The grist and dirt should bo first well washed off with warm water until the wound is quite clean, Fryar s balsam should then be applied with a linen bandage, and if bound up when fresh done, the wound will probably heal at once without further trouble ; but should it not be thoroughly cleansed before the bc;n;lage is applied, it will not heal, and poultices will have afterw^ards to be made use of. Proud flesh will then arise, which can be reduced, if exces- sive, by being touched with caustic, or, in slight cases, a little white sugar powdered and alum will be sufficient. The first and grand remedy in all cases of strains and injuries, of almost any kind, is the most simple— hot water. This should be freely ap- plied, and if persevered in long enough, the most violent strains or bruises will yield to this application alone. Injuries to the hock joint are the most serious of all, and very often terminate fatally, if not judiciously treated at first. Should the joint oil escape, inflammation will often set in, and baffle the skill of the most clever veterinary surgeon. For a broken leg there is sel- dom any better remedy than a leaden ball,* although instances have been known of a fracture being successfully reduced. A fore leg may be set with a great deal of trouble, but there are so many chances against its properly joining, that it is scarcely worth the experiment. With the hind leg the case is hopeless. * To this I demur, liaA-ing seen several instances, in whicli the fracture has been reduced, and the horse become active and useful for hack work. nOKSES AND HOUNDS. 25 I once tried tlie experiment upon a favourite carriage liorse, but failed, with all the care we could give, and that was not a little. I have known a young horse break his thigh bone in struggling, when being thrown down, to have an operation performed. In suddenly turning a corner, also, I have seen the same thing occur. Broken bones, however, with horses, although so frequently falling, in one way or another, are of rare occurrence; and it is fortunate they are so, as the liorse is almost an impracticable animal to deal with in such cases. In all hunting establishments, and, I may add, in every case where it is practicable, horses should have the luxury of a loose box to themselves. It is not only a Kixury to the horse, but it enables him to recover himself so much quicker after a hard day's work. Instead of being tied up in narrow stalls with scarcely room to turn round, and only sufficient to lie down in one position, and that not comfortably either, he will there have room to rest as he pleases, and enjoy the free use of his limbs. It is a most mistaken idea to suppose that hunters, or horses much exposed to the weather, require to be kept so warm as they often are, Nothing, I am satisfied, is more prejudicial to their health and lungs than the noxious and overheated atmo- sphere of many stables, in which they are obliged to exist twelve hours out of the twenty-four. Let any one who questions this pay a visit, early in the morning, to stables containing several horses, when they are first opened ; or look at the general ap- pearance of grooms whose occupation is in such places. Their pale faces clearly prove the unhealthy state of the air in a hot, crowded stable. The care which some of these men take, in their mistaken zeal, to exclude every particle of fresh air from the stable is quite extraordinary, and proves how little common sense ever enters into their calculations. I had much rather keep a horse in a barn during the winter months, with good warm clothing, than in such places as common stables, and, I am quite satisfied, he would enjoy better health, and be less liable to catch cold, or subject to diseases of any kind, and would do much more work, than any hot-house plant. The late Mr. Hunt, of radical notoriety, when a young man, living with his father on the Wiltshire Downs, kept his hunters in the open yard during the hunting season, with a shed to go into as they liked ; and I have heard my father say, with whom he hunted in those days, that with these horses, so kept, he would beat almost the whole field, himself and another excepted, who rode thorough-bred horses. This was carrying things to the other extreme point; but, of the two plans, I should prefer Mr. 26 HORSES AND HOUNDS. Hunt's to the hot-house system, as more reasonable. I have known extraordinary distances performed by horses in this rough and ready state, and, with a good allowance of corn, there is not only no lawful impediment to their being better suited to stand all kinds of rough w^eather, and rough work to boot, but the greater probability of their doing so without feeling half the pressure from without, which must weigh heavily upon more pampered forms. Est modus in rebus, however, the middle course is the best, if only for appearance sake, and that is more than half the consideration with owners of hunters in the pre- sent time. I would only suggest, from these remarks, that there is no occasion for the fuss some, or, I may say, nearly all grooms make about hot stables and warm clothing. It is true they like to turn their horses out in good trim, as it is called, and with sleek and shining coats ; for this they deserve praise instead of censure. But whilst their masters avoid Scylla, they need not be wrecked on Charybdis. JS'ec, dum hcec vites, vitia, in contraria curras. Clipping is one of the finest and most favourable inventions to grooms that ever has yet been introduced. It saves a deal of trouble and elbow grease with a rough-coated animal ; but this is often carried to excess, as many horses are clipped only to save trouble which do not really require it, and this operation when once performed will have to be repeated the next season also, and so on to the end of the chapter. Thorough-bred horses do not require this treatment, but I have seen them subjected to it, and the natural beauty and silky nature of their hair quite spoilt. For rougli half-bred animals, I am a great advocate for clipping, the effects of which are quite wonderful, and the metamorphosis so complete, that a man would scarcely know his own horse again. The alteration in their work is quite as great as in their improved appearance. One man also can locjk after three clipped horses as well, or better, than two rough ones, w^iere economy is the order of the day, and that appears to be a very general, if not favourite, order now-a-days. In the fast coacliing time, and when the team was really turned out in first- rate style, the ostler who looked after the horses belonging to a fashionable fast coaching concern told me that he and a boy had to look after eight horses, and clean the harness also : and, to his credit, I never saw horses or harness turned out in much better trim. Before the railroad era commenced, travelling had been brought to perfection, and, although a seat in a first-class railway carriage is a luxury in comparison with that on a coach box, I must confess, even now, except where time was of great importance, I should prefer the latter to the former. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 27 CHAPTER IV. Eailways not injurious to the demand for draught horses — Comparative safety of the coach and the rail — Experience in coach accidents — Proper feed- ing for draught horses — Objections to the old hay-lofts — Different quali- ties of hav, proper season for making it — Objection to haj-making machines — Improvements introduced by Lord Ducie — Manure — Plough horses, and their hours of work — Difference of diet according to occupa- tion— Value of wheat and other provisions, and of the manui'e. It might have been supposed that the introduction of rail- ways would have superseded or materially diminished the use of horses generally employed for draught purposes ; but, taking into account the number of cabs and omnibus horses now em- ployed to ply to and from railway stations, not only in the great metropolis where the increase has been enormous during the last few years, but also in the rural districts and large towns ; railway travelling has not had this effect, but, on the contrary, has increased the demand for beasts of this descrip- tion. There are still to be found some four-horse coaches in localities where railroads have not yet been formed. The flourishing whips of former days are now forced, like the Red Indians of North America (by the pressure of the steam en- gine or puffing Billys, as a coachman used to call them,) into the far west, there to subsist on short fares and short commons, until, by some branch line, their vocation will be entirely gone. Notwithstanding the number of coaches formerly on the great roads leading north, south, east, and west from London, and the heavy loads occasionally carried on their roofs, few accidents, comparatively speaking, occurred, and they were very seldom attended with fatal consequences. A crash, however, on a rail- way is a different affair, and the loss of life and limb on several occasions has been very great. During twenty years' travelling by coach I never witnessed any serious accident, not even to the breaking of a limb ; but I have been present at two or three turns out, though not turns over. Upon one occasion a fast young whip on the western road deposited his outside passen- gers in a horse pond, but as it happened in the month of July, and in turning into the inn yard where the coach stopped to refresh its passengers, they were soon accommodated by the attentive landlady with a change of garments until their own were dried by the kitchen fire, and every attention having been paid to the comfort of the inner as well as the outward man, they proceeded on their journey in high good humour. I have seen also the outsides, by the coach being driven rather too 23 HORSES AND HOUNDS. near a ditch, take a "flying leap over into a cottage garden, to the great consternation of the worthy old occupant of the cot- tage adjoining, who was standing outside the door to see the coach pass. The coach did not go over at all, but from the lurch it gave, tlie gentlemen on the roof, taking this as a matter of course, anticipated the event, and, to their dismay, not only had their leap for nothing, but saw the coach travelling on as if it was "all right." The most extraordinary performance, however, I ever saw without an accident, was on the Cheltenham road, where a turn- pike man took upon himself the office of Jehu to his own horses, a short stage into Evesham. A friend and myself journeying into Leicestershire, chanced to fall in with this conveyance, but on the change of teams and coachman, seeing the turn-out, now prepared to forward us on our journey, we declined the front seats, which we had hitherto occupied, and retr^ted to the rear, ready for the overthrow which we had every reason to expect. The off leader was of elephantine proportions, nearly seventeen liands high, and a dead puller, w4tli a mouth as hard as a crocodile's. His fellow or companion in arms, for in harness they were not, was about fourteen hands, a sort of nondescript ani- mal, in head and shape more resembling a hippopotamus, and decidedly as slow. The off-wheeler was blind, and a bolter ; and the hopes of the "family coach" depended solely upon the exertions of the near wheeler, who had to strain and tug against these three contending powers to keep the vehicle anywhere in the road. The tackling by which these variously-disposed ani- mals were fruitlessly attempted to be held together was upon a par with the team itself — cord, chains, and tar-twine prepon- derating over leather. The master of the horses being as w^ell master of the tolls, and Jehu only j^^^o hdc vice,^ was evidently a strong cross of the butcher, and handled the ribbons and whip much after the fashion of a London drayman, though not quite so artistically. I observed to the coachman, who left us at this point, that it was a very rum lot to look at. — " Yes, sir," he replied ; "and I think you will find it altogether about the rum- mest lot to go you ever sat behind yet ; and if you'll take my advice, you'll be on the look-out for squally weather." The preparations being completed, we very reluctantly took our places behind, in company with an aged^ ostler, from whose quivering lips the words " all right" issued in tremulous accents, as if in strong anticipation of their being speedily converted into the contrary meaning ; and this was the case much more quickly than I expected. At starting, the Brobdignag pulled steadily away to his side of the road, and, notwithstanding all HOKSES AND HOUNDS. 29 the exertions of the master of the tolls, assisted by a young fanner on the box with him, he accomplished his purpose of landing us all very cleverly on the bank, the coach wheels being in the ditch. It took some time to set things square again, but by removing Brobdignag to the otlier side, he dragged the coach once more on the road, and start No. 2 was effected. We got along tolerably well to the point of a hill, which led down into the town, when the row began in earnest, fast and furious. To hold Brobdignag in was now entirely out of the question ; and down the hill he went at a rattling pace, although the young farmer held by might and main, with the leaders' reins in the hollow of his arm, for better jjurchase. The coach rocked to and fro like a vessel in a gale of wind, and the screams of two ladies inside added to the uproar, and lent wings to Brobdignag's flight. Upon passing a jDarticular spot, my attention was arrested by a deep-drawn sigh from the aged and trembling ostler, as if a load of care had been removed from his breast. " What's the matter with you, old gentleman T I inquired. " Oh ! how thankful I be for that f " For what f I asked. " Look there, sir, at that milestone, by the side of the road. ISIaster knocked him over only yesterday, and I made sure he'd a had another touch at 'im again to-day." "But fast we fled away, away; And I covild neither sigh nor pray," until we reached the town of Evesham ; on entering which, the coach was within two feet of the corner of a house, and we were brought suddenly to by the pony rushing into a butcher's shop, where probably he had been often before accustomed to stand with the panniers on his back. This brought us to a safe anchorage without loss of life or limb. The passengers quickly descended and marched off on foot to the inn, opposite to which the master of the tolls, after dispensing with the services of his leaders, drove up in no very happy mood, amidst the jeers and laughter of all the postboys and ostlers who had witnessed his performance. A military gentleman, the friend and companion of the two ladies inside, pitched into the unlucky Jehu, threaten- ing all sorts of law proceedings, which the toll-keeper cut short by saying that he might save himself all further trouble, since he would be hanged if ever he got on a coach- box again ! It was the custom with all large coach proprietors to feed their horses upon hay-chaif and corn mixed, a few split beans being occasionally added, without any hay at night. I have known this plan adopted with hunters also. ^ Less hay is, of course, consumed, and the food being given in a compressed 30 HORSES AND HOUNDS. form, the stomach is not distended. The hay should be of the very best quality, from upland pastures, and at least a year old. Clover hay, although the best for fattening cattle, will not do for horses to work upon, being of what is called a foggy nature, and decidedly bad for the wind. Saintfoin, cut when in full blossom, is less objectionable, and the most hearty of all artifi- cial grasses ; it may do for draught horses, but it will not do for hunters when in work. Oats should be old, and of the heaviest kind ; many prefer black to white ; the difference is little, if any, as to strength ; weight in the bushel is the best criterion to judge corn by. Select good oats, above 40 lb. the bushel, well cleansed from grist and dirt, and which have not been heated on the kiln. The potato kind are generally the heaviest, and I have known these weigh 47 lb. In the autumn, when horses are shedding their coats, a few old beans are necessary ; but at other times they should be given very sparingly. In most modern-built stables, the old-fashioned hayloft has been dispensed with, which was generally a receptacle for dust, cobwebs, and the filth of rats, mice, and cats. If the hay could be cut fresh from the mow every day, it would be better, as, by exposure, it loses much of its aroma and freshness. At any rate, a hay-chamber will be a necessary appendage to a hunting esta- blishment, where it should remain in trusses until wanted ; but by the use of a light cart and pony, or donkey, the hay-chamber might be dispensed with entirely, and the hay brought in every morning fresh from the rick, if situated at some distance from the stables. There is a great difference in the quality of hay, and it requires some judgment to select a rick fit for hunters in the season. Hay that has been washed by rain is quite unfit ; as is also that which has been mowburnt or over-heated ; but hay, to be good, requires a certain degree of fermentation or heat. If the rick is hollow, so that you can thrust your arm into it nearly up to the shoulder, it is a proof that the hay has not been sufficiently heated. You may also judge by the truss, which should be close, firm, and heavy. Hay, for hunters, should be cut early, before the grasses run to seed — by the first or second week of June at latest — whilst the juices are at the full flow. Hay should be made by hand, and not by the agency of the hay-making machine, which, although of great service to farmers in some seasons, when hands are scarce, yet scatters abroad the leaves and blossoms of the finer kinds of grasses and small clover, which abounds in all good pasturages. In hay for hunters or racehorses, the two extremes must be carefully avoided— over-fermentation, producing mowburning ; or under- HORSES AND HOUNDS. 31 fermentation, producing mouldiness. The first has a strong diuretic effect ; the last will occasion disease of the lungs and broken wind. Clean fresh wheat straw is at any time prefer- able to bad hay, and when hunters or carriage-horses are fed upon manger food entirely — that is, corn and chaff mixed — they should have a few pounds of clean and sweet wheat straw put into their racks at night. I have known horses kept for agricultural purposes entirely without hay throughout the sea- son, and in confirmation of this I may mention the system pursued on the late Lord Ducie's farm at Whitfield, in Gloucestershire. Some five or six years since, the fame of Lord Ducie's improved mode of cultivation having reached my ears, I was induced, with three friends, to pay a visit to his farm, then under his lordship's personal superintendence. The farm consisted, as I was informed, of about 240 acres of land, wdiich, under the old system, had produced a rental of about 200^. per annum. The fences had been levelled, with all the timber ; the land thoroughly drained, and a wide water- course cut through the farm, into which the drainage water was conveyed. Instead of the old-fashioned barns, which, in my opinion, are much more calculated, and do generally prove, better preserves for rats and mice than for corn, a large and expensive threshing machine had been erected, driven by steam, and the ricks being placed close to the building, and on each side of a rail which led into the threshing-fioor, the process of taking in and threshing out the corn proceeded simultaneously as w^ell as the cleaning and sacking it. The system pursued on this farm was that which alone can answer in the present times — viz., to grow the greatest possible quantity of green and root crops, by which a large stock of cattle and sheep may be supported, and thus to add to the increase of the wheat crop also. The roots grown on the farm, consisted of mangold wurzel, white carrots, and Swedish turnips, the average per acre being, I was told, about thirty tons. Except in the first year, very little artificial manure had been used, and none afterwards except that made on the premises. Large tanks were made to receive all the liquid manure from the different yards and bullock-houses, which, by forcing pumps, was thrown over the compost heaps standing outside the yards. As nearly as I can recollect, there were about eighty acres of roots, forty of clover, and one hundred and twenty of wheat growing on the farm when I visited it. The trimming of the carrots produced an immense quantity of green food during the summer months, upon which and the clover, cut in a green state, the cattle and stock subsisted. Hay was neither 32 HORSES AND HOUXDS. made nor used. The horses employed were of a superior de- scription, and tlieir drivers Scotchmen, with Scotch ploughs. The allowance of food to each horse was about a peck of oats, which were bruised, with a little clean wheat straw at night. The working hours were from seven in the morning until twelve, when the horses were brought into the stable, fed,_ and rested for two hours, and then worked again until five or six in the evening, as their services might be required. This was, of course, only during the spring, summer, and autumn months, when the days were long. The horses thus treated were in first-rate condition, and full of hard flesh. The system thus pursued on Lord Ducie's farm proves that for slow work carrots and corn are sufficient to keep horses in good working condition, and even above the usual condition, which, thej'' certainly were when I saw them. I do not suppose that race-horses and hunters, whose bodily exertions are sometimes so severely taxed, would upon this same diet be enabled to go through their performances ; but I think that the prejudices which some men entertain against carrots being given at all, either to race-horses or hunters, are unfounded, and that they may be given not only safely, but Avith advantage both ta the wind and health of the horse during the hunting season, two or three times a week. "With draught horses certainly a great saving of hay may be effected by their use, nor does there exist any necessity for hay being given at all to horses required solely for this purpose ; when used by being cut into chaff, the consump- tion may be reduced to one-half the usual quantity, mixing it with two parts of wheat straw cut also into chaff". The straw of oats^ when cut early and well harvested, is also a good substitute for hay ; but I am no advocate for barley straw being given to horses in work, although it may do very well for cattle. By the example set upon Lord Ducie's farm, it has been proved that horses can be kept in first-rate working condition, and that both cattle and sheep can be made fat for the butcher, without ever tasting hay at all. It may be asked, why dispense with the use of hay, cui hono ? The answer is, that an acre of land which will produce two tons of hay, will produce from twenty to thirty tons of mangold wurzel, carrots, or Swedish turnips. The usual allow- ance of hay to a horse being about a hundredweight per week, (and this, with the waste where hay is used, is a fair calculation,) you set off the value of the root crop against the hay crop; the former may be put down at 1/. per ton, and the latter at 3^. ; you have, therefore, three times tlie money value in the roots, after deducting the expenses of cultivation, not to mention the extra quantity of manure which will be returned to the land. HORSES AND HOU^'DS. 33 Tlie value of wheat straw may be put down at about 25.?. the ton, and oats at 25. 6c/. the bushel : two tons of hay would keep two horses twenty weeks, at a cost of 6/., or at the weekly rate of 6.S. On the other side, allowing two bushels of corn to each horse, the cost would be 10s. for the two, carrots 3s. per week, or three cwt. By feeding on corn and carrots, the expense of keeping two horses for twenty weeks would amount to 13/., in which three tons of carrots would be consumed ; you have then left from seventeen to twenty tons of carrots, to meet the extra expense of corn feeding, which woidd keep two other horses for the same period. It will be seen, therefore, by this plan of growing roots instead of hay, that twice the number of horses may be kept in far better condition than upon hay alone, the value of the manure to be returned to the land will also be proportionally greater. I have here given a fair allowance of corn, more perhaps than falls to the lot of farm horses generally. But I have heard it stated that horses have been kept upon carrots and wheat straw only, and even hunted upon such food. This may be a fact, for anything I can say to the contrary, but I am quite satisfied that horses used for draught purposes will do better upon carrots, wheat straw chaff, and a moderate quantity of corn, even half the allowance I have made, than upon hay. Various other kinds of grain are given to draught horses ; wheat, beans, peas, barley, and grains, but oats in this country have always been considered the best and soundest food for horses, which they unquestionably are, affording more muscle than any other, without any very heating property. Wheat is a very improper food for horses, although containing a great amount of nutritious matter ; it will swell in and distend the stomach, and I have known horses and sheep both killed by eating it : barley, without being prepared by boiling, is also very heating. For horses in hard work, split beans used with moderation are an excellent addition either to oats or soft manger food. Peas are objectionable, as tending to flatulency, but pea meal is often given both to horses and sheep, although my experience 'of its use will not justify me in recom- mending it. The messes which are often prepared for farm and draught horses it is quite unnecessary to mention ; every man has some crotchet in his head upon this subject, and I have seen various cooking apparatus in work for this purpose, some steam- ing potatoes, others boiling linseed, and my impression is that the result of all this domestic cookery will be disappointment, causing more trouble than it is worth, and in the end a moro expensive mode of feeding than upon good heavy oats, which require crushing only to be made the most of. Bruised gorse has been highly extolled by some, but for what exact properties I D 31 Zl MTiTff^arcT^i^tagMK^ •^«mtteb; 36 HORSES ASB HOUNDS. horse to acquire that indispensable requisite, which is commonly called wind, or the power of going at great speed without dis- tress. To any one acquainted with the anatomy of the horse, it must he obvious that this power cannot be suddenly attained, nor until all superfluous fat is gradually reduced, and the lungs, heart, and kidneys got into a healthy state of activity. This must be the work of time, and it cannot be done without. Ventilation also in stables is of the utmost importance to the health of the horse. Over each stall a small aperture should be made in the ceiling, and by having some draft holes in the front wall, with a sliding board, fresh air may be admitted as required, and thus the stable may be kept at a proper temperature. It is, I think, a good plan to have the entire window turn upon a pivot in the centre ; thus, when the horses are out at exercise, the stable may be thoroughly purified. By scattering gypsum or peat ashes over the floor, a great deal of the ammonia will be absorbed. In many old stables, the declivity of the pitching stones is so great as to cause a constant strain upon the back sinews of the hind legs. The best plan is to have the floor of the stables very gradually decline from each side to the centre. In some of my loose boxes, which were large and square, the drain was in the centre of the box, with an iron grating over it. In any case the drainage from the stable should be quick and effective, the pitching or paving stones regularly and nicely laid • so as to throw off the urine into the main drains. Damp stables are very injurious to horses, which are subject to rheu- matic attacks, as well as dogs ; and the floor should be laid upon dry coal ashes, with a layer of concrete over them. There should also be a large outside drain, with a good fall, the_ side nearest the wall being built up with bricks or stone laid in cement, which will prevent any surface water soaking into the floors or foundation of the stable. Whatever objections may be made on this score by grooms, stables should always be both lofty and have plenty of light. The want of the latter I am satisfied often causes horses to shy, if it is not the primary or sole cause of this failing. There can be no wonder that horses, kept in badly-ventilated and dark stables, should be subject to ophthalmia and bad eyes ; the only wonder is, that they can see at all, when suddenly emerging from such dens into the broad glare of day. Starting and shying are, it must be admitted, very great faults, by which many serious accidents occur continually ; but both habits are attributable to defective vision. Of late years more attention has been paid to the construction and ventilation of stables ; but still much remains to be done. HOKSES AND HOUNDS. 37 In large and roomy stables, where the ventilation is good, a large bucket of water may be left at the side of the manger, or a small cistern made of slate always kept three parts full, for the horse to drink when so inclined ; but water should not be kept in hot and close stables for the purpose that some grooms use it — viz., to take the chill off. We all know that hard spring water is not so good for horses as soft river water ; but when the latter cannot be had, spring or well water may be put into a large cask or tub, with a good piece or two of chalk, or a lump of hard lime, and a small bowlful of this mixture put into a bucket of cold water; or the chill may be taken off by pouring some boiling water into the bucket. Nothing can be more absurd or injurious than limiting the allowance of water, a very common practice with ignorant grooms, which not only makes horses continually craving for it, but is also productive of fever and other complaints. In racing establishments, water is offered to the horses two or three times in a day, and it ought to strike every man of common sense that water is as necessary to a horse as food, particularly when so much evaporation goes on, as with racers and hunters. After severe exercise, the chill should be always taken off the water before given, for which purpose a quart of boiling water put into two gallons of cold will be found sufficient. Few men would, I should think, be simple enough to give any horse before galloping him, a quan- tity of water ; but such, I have heard, is the practice with some, and this is one way of taking the chill off with a vengeance. On hunting mornings many grooms give their horses no water at all ; an ignorant and cruel practice, and productive of much injury to the animal. When horses are properly attended to, and at reasonable hours, the stable being opened at five in the morning, no difference need be made in the allowance of water, but where the stable is visited at seven o'clock instead of five o'clock, which is more likely to be the case in small establish- ments, and when the master himself is not an early riser, a bucket of water may be too much, but two gallons can never do harm. A certain quantity is indispensably necessary for the proper mastication of the food, and without this the horse will be in a state of fever the whole day. I have known horses nearly killed by this idle and ignorant plan of giving them no water on hunting mornings, the bowels having become so con- stipated at the end of the day as to require the assistance of the veterinary surgeon the next morning. I should like to set these would-be knowing gentlemen down to their breakfast without their cup of tea or coffee, and a piece of dry bread only to mumble ! They would, if treated in this manner, have perhaps 38 Hor.sES AXD HOon)S. a fellow feeling for the poor animals which have the misfortune to be placed under their care. Next in order to proper feeding comes dressing and grooming; and here there is a very wide field for the exercise of every description of assistants to manual labour, from the besom to the flesh-brush, the usual practice in these clays being to dispense with as much bodily exertion as possible. I have seen horses taken frequently out of the stable, reeking hot, stripped of the saddle at once, and tied out in the open air to get dry, whilst their feet are being washed, or the besom perliaps applied to their legs, to brush the dirt off. This is one way to save trouble, at the risk of endangering the horse's life ; and I have known some quietly disposed men allow their grooms to palm such a gross and palpable act of idleness and ca,relessness off upon them, as productive of no evil consequences to the horse, with the cool remark, " Oh, I suppose my groom knows his business !" Know- ing a man's business and ching it are not quite the same thing yet, but some men would believe the moon made of green cheese, rather than take the trouble to inquire " why and how." If a man, after running a race, was suddenly strii)ped of all his clothes, with the perspiration running out of every pore in his skin, the probability is that he would catch his death from cold ; and why should a horse be exempt from the like conse- quence ? simply, I suppose, because he happens to be a horse, and his master an ass ! There can be no other reason ; cause and effect generally go hand in hand with all animals whose skins are porous, from the biped to the quadruped. It is not necessary for every man who can buy and keep a horse to possess the knowledge of a veterinary surgeon, or even make such an attempt ; but if he will treat his liorse pretty much after the same fashion as he treats himself, supposing him to be a man of moderate habits, he cannot err very far from the mark. Before breakfast he will feel himself more light and fit for a run, if so 'disposed, or a smart walk in the open fields ; he will then be ready for his breakfast, and eat it with avidity. After this repast he will not feel quite fit for a race, until he has digested his food, and perhaps his paper; but in an hour's time he will be all right to go through his day's work, beginning with moderation. Every man sliould bear in mind the old doggrel lines which, I suppose, it is almost unnecessary to repeat, " Up the hill spare me, down the hill bear me, on the flat never fear me." They are rendered also in other words to the same effect ; " Up the hill force me not, down the hill drive me not, on the level spare me not." That is, taking it for granted that the horse is fit to go, as he could scarcely have been supposed , HORSES AND HOUNDS. 39 to address his master in such language either when out of con- dition, or with a full stomach. When a horse returns to the stable, either after hunting or a journey, the first thing to be done to him is to take off the bridle, but to let the saddle remain on for some time at least, merely loosening the girths. The head and ears are first to be rubbed dry, cither with a wisp of hay or a cloth, and then by the hand until the ears are warm and comfortable ; this will occupy only a few minutes, and the horse can then have his bit of hay or feed of corn, having previously, if returned from hunting or from a long journey, despatched his bucket of thick gruel : the process of washing his legs may now be going on, whilst he is discussing his feed of corn in peace ; as each leg is washed, it should be wrapped round with a flannel or serge bandage, and by the time the four legs are done with, the horse will have finished his feed of corn. A little hay may then be given, which vAW occupy his attention while the rubbing his body is proceeded with. I am a great advocate for plenty of dry clean wheat straw for this purpose ; and a good groom, with a large wisp in each hand, will in a very short space of time, make a clean sweep of all outward dirt and wet. It cannot, however, be properly done without a great deal of elbow grea&e as well, of which the present generation are inclined to be very chary. When the body of the horse is drj'-, a large loose rug should be thrown over him, and the legs then attended to, and rubbed thoroughly dry by the hand ; I know the usual practice with idle and knowing grooms is to let the l)andages remain on until the legs become dry of themselves, but I also know that there cannot be a worse practice ; for horses' legs, after hunting, the large knee-bucket should be used, with plenty of warm water, which will soothe the sinews after such violent exertion, and allay any irritation proceeding from cuts and thorns. The system of bandaging horses' legs, and letting them remain in this state for hours, must tend to relax the sinews ; such practices have never gained favour with me, but I have heard salt and water and vinegar highly extolled by some, with which the bandages are to be kept constantly wet, as tending to strengthen the sinews and keep them cool ; if, however, used too long or allov/ed to become dry, I conceive more injury likely to result from their use than benefit. It is generally known that those who have recourse -to belts for support in riding, cannot do well without them afterwards, and although often advised to try these extra aids, I never availed myself of them ; cold water is the best strengthener either to man or horse, and a thorough good dry rubbing afterwards. After 40 HORSES AND HOUNDS. severe walking exercise, the benefit of immersing tlie feet in warm water for a sliort time must be fully appreciated by all who have tried it ; but I very much question if any man would feel himself stronger upon his legs the next morning, by having them bandaged with hot flannels during the night. Very much may be done by the judicious use of hot and cold water, in fact, more than by half the prescriptions in general use ; but the proper time must be attended to as Avell, for its application. When a horse has had a long and severe day's work, he should not be harassed more than is absolutely necessary, by grooming and dressing ; the chief business shouldbe to get him dry and comfortable as quickly as possible, and when that has been eftected, a slight wisping over with a dry cloth will be suffi- cient for that night. CHAPTER VT. Essentials for dressing and cleaning a liorse — Clothing to be suited to tempera- ture and time of year, — To be changed in order to ensure its drjaiess — Separate cleaning-rooms — Too much artificial treatment prejudicial — Dangers of sudden heats and colds — Death of a horse through inflamma- tion induced by wrong treatment — Another anecdote — Absurd trouble taken by grooms, and iinhealthy habit of hissing, pvifHng, and blowing while rubbing down the animal — Amusing mistakes, but ultimate success of a sailor turned farmer — Ancient laws for the proper treatment of old horses, and want of similar humanity in the present day — Instances of ill-treatment of old horses — Anecdote of Charles, Duke of Calabria. The usual appliances in dressing and cleaning a horse are a currycomb and brush, wisp of hay, and dry cloth, with a sponge and water brush for the feet, and a small comb for the mane and tail. With horses of fine coats, or with those which have been clipped, the currycomb is too rough to be often used, unless wliere dirt or clay tenaciously adheres to the hair, and then it should be applied with a very light hand on the surface only, so as not to scratch the skin ; it is more properly adapted to clean the brush only, the use of which is indispensable to keep the coat free from dirt and scurf. The clothing should be adapted to the season of the year as well as the temperature of the stable ; and it is far preferable to have a cool stable and more clothing than a hot one with less. Until the weather becomes cold and chilly, a linen cloth is the best, and quite sufficient for any horse. At the end of October, the woollen rug may be substituted, but there is seldom occa- HOKSES AND HOUNDS. 41 sion for more than one of these, although I have often seen two used, more for the purpose of ke€i)ing the horse's coat fine, than for any other. This coddling is not only of no service wliatever to the horse, but decidedly prejudicial to him. The treatment of horses by grooms generally tends only to the one thing — their great object — the smart appearance of the horse's coat ; and to this almost every other consideration is to give way. What should we think of a man wearing his great coat and hat in the house, and putting them oif when he went out on a wet day? The keeping a horse burdened with a quantity of warm clothing in a hot stable is just as reasonable a practice. Each horse should have to his wardrobe, however, two rugs at least, if not three, that one may be always dry. The cloth which is thrown over him when he first returns to the stable wet and dirty, is not proper for him to sleep in, and a clean one should be kept by the saddle room fire, ready to be put on, when he is done up for the night. In some establishments there is a cleaning room set apart for this purpose, where the horses, when very dirty, are scrubbed and washed ; it has certainly an advantage in keeping the stable more free from dust, but it should be protected from cold draughts of air. In warm weather, there can be no great harm done in cleaning a horse outside the stable door, provided he has a loose rug thrown over him, to prevent his too suddenly cooling; but the practice of stripping a horse at once when heated, and tying him outside the stable without any clothing at all, is most injurious. Knowing the abuses to which this liberty is so often exposed, I never allowed a horse of mine to be placed outside the door mider any pretence, and the infringe- ment of this rule was certain dismissal. Neither should I per- mit any horse in the winter season, after a Imrd day's work, to be removed into the cleaning room. Horses which are thus artificially treated in hot stables, and with warm clothing, are, of course, much more liable to catch cold than those which are almost used in a state of nature, such as cart horses, and from their sudden exposure to a cold atmo- sphere, when heated, arise colds, coughs, chills, and sometimes, in consequence of these, farcy and glanders. These evil effects may generally be traced to checked perspiration, and those who have kept horses must be aware that a severe cold caught in the winter months, is not so easily got rid of again, and often ends in chronic cough. Numbers of horses fall victims to inflam- mation, produced by sudden exposure to cold, and by having cold water given to them when in a heated state. I witnessed the fatal efi'ects of the latter a short time since with a young 42 K0R5ES AND HOUNDS. and valuable liorse belonging to a farmer. This horse was seized suddenly with what the farmer thought the colic, or fret, and the village practitioner being sent for, he gave him what he called a warm drench, with about a quart of gin as well The result of this imprudent dose was soon visible, by- increased pain and inflammation, which set in so rapidly that the horse was dead before nine o'clock the same evening. My advice was solicited in the afternoon, when too late ; but I pre- scribed the only remedies which would be serviceable in such a case — the use of the enema and warm fomentations to the stomach — the horse having been already bled by his doctor till he dropped down. A little before nine o'clock, I fortunately went to see him, and found him surrounded by men and boys, trying to keep him on his legs, and prevent him lying down. The learned Vet. was also present, but ignorant that at that moment his patient was dying. I ordered the men and boys in- stantly to come away from him, and they had not left him one minute, before the horse fell dead against the wall. Being a very large animal of the cart-horse breed, he would certainly have crushed to death one or more of the people who were around him but for my fortunate arrival iust at this critical moment. In cases of this kind, where inflammation sets in so rapidly, the probability is that the most scientific treatment would scarcely avail to save life ; but when fuel is added to fire, by peppery drenches, or drastic doses of physic being crammed down the horse's throat, the chances of a cure are hopeless. In the very first instance bleeding may check the inflammation ; a good dose of castor oil should also be given, and warm gruel with a little ginger in it. A warm mustard poultice may also be a[»plied to the stomach, and flannels steeped in hot water. I will state one case more which came under my own obser- vation, and where a very valuable horse would most inevitably have been sacrificed at Mt. Bolter's altar of maxims but for my timely arrival on the scene of action. A friend was staying with me in the hunting season with two good horses. He had his stud groom, of course, a very consequential gentleman, and who did not, as the vulgar saying is, think small beer of himself. I gave them some loose boxes to themselves, which were generally hermetically sealed against all peering curiosity hun- ters. I seldom ventured to look into this garden of the Hes- perides for fear of the dragon, but my man often talked of the condition and other balls which were being continually crammed down the horses' throats, much against his advice ; but he was considered ordy as a country bum])kin, and what should ho know about the management of high-bred cattle like his mas- ITOESES Ayj) HOUNDS. 43 ter's horses ? One day my friend came to me with a very rueful visage, saying his horse was taken very ill, and Thomas had advised him to send for the farrier of the village. " Send," I said, " for the butcher at once." " Why," he said, " I did not know what to do ; and Thomas said the horse was very ill, and he should go for the farrier." " Well," I said, " the horse belongs to you, and you can do as you like ; but I'll bet you five pounds that if Mr. Bolter crams one of his fire balls down his throat he will be carrion by to- morrow morning." " Oh !" he said, " what shall I do ? Pray come and see him, for I fear the farrier is arrived already ; and the horse cost me one hundred and twenty guineas." " So many shillings," I said, " he is not worth if Mr. Bolter once handles him." He hurried me down to the stable at once, and fortunately the furrier had not made his appearance — his stopping to mix up the precious comx)Ound he usually crammed down horses' throats upon all occasions, upon this, saved the liorse's life. Upon examining him, I found him suffering from incipient in- flammation, no doubt produced by Mr. Thomas's condition balls, and the chances were fifty to one against his recovery. I told my friend there was only one course to pursue, and that instantly must be done — to send to the nearest large town for a clever veterinary surgeon, to bring with him his apparatus for injecting warm water and gruel, to unload and soothe the intes- tines. A man on horseback was directly despatched on this errand, and no sooner was he gone than the village professor made his appearance. Being always, open to conviction if wrong, and vrishing also to hear the opinion of my learned friend, ^Ir. Bolter, I held my peace. My friend and Thornas held a consultation together, and I could see Mr. Bolter's advice about the nice cooling ball that he had brought with him being given at once, was on the point of being adopted, when it was time to step in to the rescue of the poor horse. " Pray, jlr. Bolter,'* I said, " will you allow me to see the ball you are so strongly recommending r " Oh, sir, by all manner of means : here it is." Tlie smell was sufficient. " Will you tell me," I said, " what this ball contains ? *' Oh no, sir, you know we never tells out of school ; but it is summut I mixes," with a very knowing look. "Well, then,'' I said, "as you are so communicative, I will tell you some oi the ingredients — all I do not pretend to. Your occult science has, no doubt, many secrets which are far too 44 nORSES AND HOUNDS. deep for me to unravel • your ball, however, contains aloes, gum guaiacum, carraway, and, I liave a notion, a sprinkling of black pepper, with a fcAv drops of oil of turpentine." At this announcement, Mr. Bolter's visage became consider- ably elongated; but he still tried to keep his ground, saying he would answer for his ball, and he would take a little blood as well. " Bleeding," I said, " may not be amiss ; but the only fit re- ceptacle for the ball is your own pocket." My friend appearing undecided, I clenched the matter by say- ing at once — "Now, Mr. Bolter, I will bet you five pounds, or five shillings, that if the horse is to take that stuff in your pocket, he is stiff in four-and-twenty hours — will you take my bet ?" " No, sir," he said, " I wont ; I don't like betting." " Then," said my friend, " that settles the matter ; my horse shall not take that ball, at all events." The horse was bled, however, and very soon afterwards a clever veterinary surgeon arrived, who approved of what I had done and suggested, and told my friend that if the furrier had crammed that stuff down the horse's throat, his chance would have been out. " Warm water and gruel, with the apparatus T have brought over, are the only remedies to be applied in this case ; and if these don't save his life, nothing can." Fortunately his life was saved, and Mr. Thomas was ordered to spare his trouble in mixing up any more condition balls. One can scarcely guess the extraordinary things which are some- times prescribed by ignorant people in the country. Before I could give my horses the luxury of a loose box to each, they were always turned round in their stalls once or twice in the day, and left to stand, with a rein attached to each post, and in this position they were groomed, cleaning horses against the rack, or manger, induces them to become crib-biters. Some horses are so ticklish, when rubbed under the belly, that you cannot prevent them kicking, unless the foreleg is strapped up, or the tail held firmly down by one hand, while the other is employed in wisping off the dirt : but some grooms take rather a pleasure in making their horses kick and bite whilst dressing them — there is certainly no necessity for half the fuss and work which is made often about this simple operation. To hear some grooms hissing and blowing whilst dressing horses, you might suppose their labours to be quite Herculean ; and the quantities of dust they inhale from this practice cannot be otherwise than most hurtful to their own coiistitutions, HOESES AND HOUNDS. 45 To tliose who have not been accustomed to horses from early youth, the management of them is a sealed volume which they do not care perhaps to break open and look into, and therefore everything is left to their grooms ; they do not like to interfere, either from a fear of exposing their want of knowledge to their inferiors in every other respect, probably, than this. I was once much amused by a sailor commencing farming opera- tions, with about as much knowledge of ploughing as his ploughman had of managing a ship ; but having been accustomed to strict obedience from all liands on board, he carried the same peremptory disposition on lard, and any of his workmen sug- gesting anything to be done, were ordered by the captain to do just the contrary, merely by way of maintaining his paramount authority. It may well be supposed that the system pursued by our sea captain for the first five months was anything but agreeable to the rules of good husbandry ; the farm, in fact, was turned nearly topsy-turvy, but being a very shrewd and observ- ing man, he soon saw what was right and what wrong, and trimmed his sails accordingly ; being laughed at by a farmer for such extraordinary proceedings as some of his Avere, he angrily replied, " Do you think I am going to be told by these landlubbers what to do '? my or dersshall be obeyed, whether right or wrong, and now that my hands are quite satisfied on this point, and will do whatever I tell them, I think we shall sail very well together, and right the ship at last." He turned out, afterwards, a capital farmer, and his men were always the most orderly and well-conducted in the parish. Every man may, with a very little trouble, acquire the knowledge necessary to manage his horses, his best instructor being common sense; and it would be well for the equine race, were their lords and masters to bestow a little more attention upon them than they usually do. Horses were much more regarded by the heathens of old, whom we think so meanly of, than they are by us Christians of the present day. Laws were made by Constantine to enforce the proper treatment of horses, and punishments inflicted upon those who ill-treated or abused them ; and we read that the old racers, who had distinguished themselves in the circus, were afterwards maintained out of the public treasury ; those pensioners on the public bounty were called " Emeriti," as deserving their discharge from labour, and also support in their declining years. How fare the " Emeriti " of the present day 1 and how few consider the aged and worn-out servant^?, which have contributed so much to their pleasures or their purse ! Instead of protection in their declining years, they are generally made over to the tender mercies of cabmen 46 HOUSES AND HOUNDS. or cadgers, until the little strength they have remaining is whipped out of them, and they are then consigned to the knacker's hands ; surely, the paltry few pounds for which an old horse may be sold, should be no consideration with their great and wealthy owners, and it would be more to their credit to have their old servants shot at once, than expose them so remorselessly to certain drudgery, and a lingering death. To prove how old horses may be abused, I may state an instance which occurred under my own observation ; I had an old hunter, no particular favourite, one which had been ridden, however, several seasons by the second whi])per-in, but having become too slow for his work, my first whipper-in told me he could get him a good place for life, with an old farmer who wished much to have him, and promised to take every care of him, merely requiring him to ride about tlie farm ; upon this assurance, and knowing something of the man, I consented to let him go, — but guess my astonisliment when, a few months afterwards, npon returning home, this identical old horse was put into my carriage (and a heavy one it was,) to drag me home a distance of fourteen miles : I could scarcely believe it possible, but there he certainly was. ' This was the only pair of horses I could procure, and he was therefore obliged to go the journey, which I was determined should be his last. Passing through the town where his present owner lived, I stopped and made inquiries how he could have come into his possession ; the story was soon told: the farmer did not like him, and had there- fore sold him to the postmaster. Having explained to this man the circumstances under which he had left my stables, I asked the i)rice he had given for him, which was ten pounds ; this sum I immediately tendered to him, and the old horse never left my premises again. This case may operate as a caution to others, not to trust to their servants, or allow them to have any casting vote, as to the fate of an old horse. There is an old story, which has probably been heard by many of my readers, but it is so approjoriate to the subject, that I may be pardoned for introducing it at this juncture. It was the practice of Charles, Duke of Calabria, to sit in council at Naples with his ministers on certain days, to hear all general complaints ; and that no persons, however humble, should be denied admittance to his presence, a wire was run across the court to the outside entrance, which, when pulled, gave the Duke an opportunity of knowing that some petitioner had applied for admission. Tliere was an old baron who, being tired of his horse, then grown stale in his service, had ordered him to be turned out of his stable, to obtain a livelihood how IIOESES AND KOUNES. 4< lie could. Tins horse one clay straying near the court, and rubbing against the wall, pulled the bell ; the Duke's attention was attracted by it, but no person claiming admittance, he inquired of his attendants the cause, and was answered by a courtier, with a smile upon his countenance, that it was only an old horse. " That makes no differen'ce," replied the Duke ; " my court is open to all, and I w^ould have you to know that justice extends to the brute creation. Who is the owner of that horse? Send for him directly." The baron was summoned to answer for his horse, and acknowledged that he had rendered him mucli service in several campaigns, but being now worn out and useless, he had turned him adrift to provide for his own living. " Very well," said the Duke, " but let me ask you one question : since you have been in years and past service, has the pension which my father granted you been withheld T " No, sire," was the reply ; " it has been punctually paid to me." " Then," said the Duke, "if you would retain your pension, and the character as well of a brave and generous man, go and provide for your old horse, as the state has provided for you." The case of the old baron and his horse is, I fear, but too common even in these enlightened days, and few, very few prove, although all may admit, that justice should extend to the brute creation. CHAPTEE VII. On stimmerlng in loose lioxes — Various accommodation and means for so doing — A horse requires relaxation as well as a man — Abundance of water ne- cessary— Instance of insatiate thirst — Thirst often caused by irritating over-doses of medicine — Frequent death of horses from inj udicious physic- ing — Subject of summei'ing continued — Loose boxes sometimes a toler- able substitute for turning out — Diet — Over-cramming during the summer to be avoided — Young grass the best and gentlest purgative — Care re- quned when a change is made from green to diy food — Prejudices of some persons against tmrning out to grass — Practice and experience of the author in reference to summering — Observations of Nimrod. Many of my readers may recollect the letters of the mighty "Nimrod," on the subject of summering hunters in loose boxes, which gained many advocates for a system which has been con- tinued down to the present day, and it may be considered pre- sumptuous in me to (Question such high authority. I am aware, also, that it is not in the power of every one to give his horse (and I write for the man of one horse, as well as for the master is HORSES AXD HOUNDS. of stucis on a large scale) the benefit of a summer run, witli cer- tain conditions inseparably connected with the well-being of the horse when turned out to grass. I have seen horses sum- mered in various ways, from the great studs in Leicestershire, dow^i to the single animal kept by the lover of the noble science, whose limited means only allow him the opportunity of meeting the hounds once or twice per week during the hunting season, and who is obliged to husband his horse's power to admit of this gratification. Some summer their horses in the stable only, with windows and doors open ; some in loose boxes, in sheds, barns, and outhouses, as each man's fancy leads him, or according to his peculiar circumstances. I have seen horses turned into such places, with a thick layer of wet clay up to their fetlocks ; others with a profusion of straw ; others without ^ny, standing on the bare stones to keep their feet cook I knew, also, a very economical gentleman, wdio, instead of giving his hunters a run at grass, gave them a run in his phaeton during the summer months, and he said they were all the better for it ! Credat Judceus Apella, non ego. To make the most of horses, where such a disposition exists, there can be no question that hunters, after a severe season, do require some relaxation and rest from their arduous labours during the summer months. The bow should not always be kept bent. Some consider horses in the light of machines, and work them as long and as hard as they can ; and when unfit for use, buy others. Some sporting men (as they are termed) will, in like manner, run a good horse off his legs, or until he has scarcely a sound one to stand upon. With such I have little to do ; they are quite out of my pale, and if they can reconcile such conduct with their consciences, they must be hard indeed. Justice extends to the brute creation. Unfortunately, however, for the brute creation, there is many a greater brute to be found among bipeds than quadrupeds. Mr. Martin's act, it is true, has somewhat pro- tected the humbler animals from the cruelty and tyranny which have been exercised over them by tliose higher animals supposed to be endowed with reason and religion ; but it does not go far enough. To those who have not the opportunity of turning their horses out to grass, I would suggest the plan of giving them some large outhouse, or a loose box in some cases must suffice, well littered with straw, the place to be kept as cool as possible. There should be placed in one corner a very large bucket, such as is used for w^ashing horses' legs, or a good sized tub, containing nine or ten gallons of w^ater ; this should be filled morning and evening with fresh water. The craving which many horses evince for water is generally caused by HORSES AND HOUNDS. 49 tlie absurd practice of grooms in stinting them in tlie quantity- given. A friend of mine once complained to me of a horse he had, which he said was never satisfied, and he believed would drink a pond dry. " Well," I said, " that is soon cured ; get a large bucket or tub, and put it in his box, and make your man keep filling it to the brim as long as he will drink ; don't let him get to the bottom." He followed my suggestions, and the next time I saw him, he said his horse was quite cured, and never cared about water afterwards. I may here say that when I kept hunters, they had always a large bucket of water standing by them in their boxes, day and night. Of course when they came in hot, from hunting, it was removed, but replaced always when they had been dressed and done up for the night, ^\^len one considers the violent exertions which some horses undergo in the course of the day, added to the hot and impure air breathed by them in their stables, there can be no surprise at their thirst and craving after water. It is not only cruelty, but folly, to deprive them of as much as they require, and unless they have been stinted in the quantity by some ignoramus of a groom, they will not drink more than is good for them. We cannot always say the same of his would-be genius of a master, when seated in the back parlour of the " Lushington Arms." A little learning is a dangerous thing, and the airs some of these stud grooms, as they are called, give themselves, as well as the knowledge they assume of everything connected with horses, are something quite preposterous. To hear them talk and give their opinions, you would suppose they had the whole pharma- copeia at their tingers or tongues' ends, and had been bred up in a veterinary college. What with alterative balls, condition balls, urine balls, and all such trash, is it to be wondered at that horses are sometimes craving for water, or nearly dying of thirst? The wonder is they so long exist under such treatment. _ And then, when Mr. John, the groom, has got his horse and himself into a fix, by an overdose of his condition balls (given for the sole purpose of making the horse look fine in his coat), he goes with a long story to master about his horse being in a very bad way : got the colic, or fret (no wonder) ; better send for Mr. Bolter, the village blacksmith, who sets up for veterinary sur- geon, cow d -ctor, pig and dog doctor, all in one. Exit John. Enter Mr. Bjlter. Mr. Bolter assumes a very serious aspect, looks the horse over, turns up the whites of his eyes, pinches him in the side, pretends to feel the pulse, although he can't quite make out where it lies, and pronounces his opinion. " A very bad case, Mr. John, and as much as I can do to save E 50 HORSES AND HOUNDS. liis life. Tie liis liead up, while I steps across and gets summut as I mixes, which will do un good." Mr. Bolter quickly returns with such a compound, in the shape of a ball, that it often settles the business, and the next person who appears on the scene is the knacker. We had often dead horses brought to the kennel, which, coming from farmers, we could not well refuse, and the general reply to my question, " Well, farmer, this is a sad loss to you ; how did it happen ?" " Oh, sir, he was taken all of a sudden with the colic or fret, or something of that sort, and we sent off at once for the furrier (commonly so called, instead of farrier, but by the way no misnomer), and he gave un a drunch." " Oh," said I, " the drench explains all ; you need say no more." I do not by any means wish to be too hard upon the Messrs. Bolters, or gentlemen of their profession, but I am only stating facts which commonly occur, and which might be remedied by the use of a little common sense, instead of so much of the mixums. In all inflammatory cases these con- founded balls and drenches are only adding fuel to fire, and must produce fatal consequences. To return to my subject of summering horses. If you have no opportunity of turning them out, you must do the best you can with a loose box. The more roomy and airy it is the bet- ter. The shoes should be taken off, the hoof pared well down and even all round, and short at the toe. Lucerne is a capital thing to give horses, but fresh vetches, not too old, or new mown grass, if the others are not to be had, will answer the purpose. You need not attend to the crotchets many grooms have in their heads of cramming horses during the summer months with corn, under the idea of keeping them in condition ; they do not require more than two feeds per day. With no work and no exercise, they will always keep high enough in flesh, if not too high. Clothing of course they will not require, which should be gradually withdrawn from the time they are not used for work. Many knowing hands, who must be always meddling with horses' stomachs in some way or other, prescribe a dose of physic, as a preparation — for what ? The gripes or colic I should suppose. When horses are taken from dry food to green you may as well give a man a dose of calomel and a black draught in the morning loho is taken off beefsteaks and port wine to he put on mutton broth or gruel. Young grass w^ill clear them out well enough without the aid of the apothecaries' shop, but when taken up and put from green food to dry hay and corn, they will then require a dose or two of physic, with plenty of bran mashes. I am well aware that with many there exists a prejudice HORSES AND HOUNDS. 51 against turning horses out to grass at all. Tliey say it takes them at once out of condition, that is, from hard flesh and mus- cle, the result of hard feeding, and that you have to do this over again before the horse is fit to work. I grant it is the case to a certain extent ; but the question is, under which sys- tem the horse will do most work, and last longest in health and strength ; in short, be of most value to his owner, for that is the point which most men consider, and that only. My answer is, that a horse which has the benefit of a summer's run at grass every year, will last many years longer and do more work, and hard work too, in the season, than the horse which is constantly kept in condition, as the term is, and fed upon corn, winter and summer. The cord that is always strained will snap the soon- est. I have heard it objected also, that horses when turned out to grass become as fat as bullocks, that they are driven wild by flies, get kicked by others, become broken-winded and roarers, fill their legs with windgalls by stamping, and, in short, that they are nearly ruined by it. I can only say, in thirty years' experience, I never met with any of these evil results from my usual plan of summering horses, and I will shortly state the course I invariably pursued. Our hunting season expired with, the first week of April ; after that the horses were only wisped over once a day, not dressed : the corn taken off from four feeds per diem to two, which were mixed with a large portion of hay- chaff, and given as usual at four times ; the clothes were thrown loosely on (a single rug) without any girth, the shoes taken pff, and the feet pared down as far as we could go without draAving blood. The first fine day all the horses were turned out in a dry pasture, with not much grass in it, where there were shade and water, for an hour or two at first. If it rained they were caught up again, and rubbed dry when brought into the stables. " Didn't they gallop and tear about the field, and try to kick each others' legs off?" No, they did no such thing, their feet were rather too tender for much galloping, and not being utter strangers to each other, they generally began feeding quietly, and so went on amicably together. They were always brought into the stable in the evening, and had a feed of corn with, plenty of hay and chaff, and a rack of hay at night ; also a feed of corn in the morning before let out, until the weather became more settled, and they had become gradually inured to the change. After that they remained out, day and night, except in hot weather, when they were taken up in the morning about ten o'clock, and remained in their loose boxes until the_ cool of the evening. There was also a large open shed in which they could at any time take refuge from a storm. Their feet wero £2 52 HORSES AM) HOUNDS. always looked over every three weeks, and if any were brittle a thin tip or plate was put on. Thus they continued until the beginning of July ; they were then taken up for good to prepare for cub-hunting. I perfectly agree with the remarks of Nimrod, (whose work I have read long since these first chapters were written), about horses being entirely ruined by being turned out to grass in the usual manner, without care or protection of any kind. Fine coated horses would be driven wild with the flies, and stamp and batter their legs to pieces. No such course as this has ever been advocated by me, and unless the horses can be regularly attended to as I have stated, they are far bet- ter even in a stable. To those who cannot dispense with their horses' services until late in the summer, I would recommend a paddock with a shed in it, or to give them the run of a farm yard if no paddock can be had, as horses are sadly tormented with flies from the end of July to the middle of August. I shall enter more at length on this subject at another time. This, for the present, may suffice. I can only state in conclusion tliat my horses treated in this manner went through more work than any others in the field, were seldom sick or soriy, did not go broken-winded, and lasted for many years longer than others which were always kept on the hard system. CHAPTER VIIL Ecunrts on tlie selection and purchasing of horses — Tricks of dealers- Change in the teeth as age advances — Disposition ascertainable from the appearance of the eye — Chai-acteristics of the form indispen- sable to constitute a good hunter, as distinct from those of the carriage- horse — Detads to be considered as to the neck and shoulders — High action horses objectionable, as also horses "in at the elbows" — Trial necessary in pm'chasing horses, and benefit of experience in effecting a purchase — Little time requned to know a good horse from a bad — Points to be ob- served in their appearance — Length necessary, but imder certain restric- tions— Diseases and imperfections; such questions best referred to the veterinary surgeon — Difference among the professors of that science — Cm'ious instance — Alignments derived from sweating, and cause, symp- toms, and effects of lameness in horses — Danger of the lancet in ines* perienced hands — Use of fomentations — Eides for bleeding — The "speedy cut" — Instance of it while at Oxford — Causes of broken knees ; Dangers of the wood pavement — Their treatment — Diseases of the feet — Wind- galls — Cuts, and their treatment — Great care requisite in the use of the irons — Causes of internal unsoundness; broken wind — Disadvantages and proper treatment of "roarers" and "whistlers" — Use and treatment of broken-winded horses — Conclusion. Having now treated of the breeding, rearing, and general management of horses, it may be as well to make a few remarks HOESES AND HOUNDS. 53 upon the purchasing of them, and the points to be attended to in selecting them, for the purpose of hunting, the road, or har- ness. The first question generally asked is the age of the horse, should his appearance be approved of; and here the inexpe- rienced man will be entirely at the mercy of the seller, unless he can obtain the assistance of some friend well versed in such matters, or the opinion of a veterinary surgeon, which is not always obtainable. The teeth of a horse undergo great changes from the time of birth to the period when he is between four and five years old, about which time the tush or tusk appears, situated between the front and back teeth. From the marks or grooves in the front teeth the age of the horse may be correctly known by those accustomed to them. At six years old the mark on the two central front teeth is gone, though a slight black stain still remains. At seven years old the mark on the four front teeth of the lower jaw disappears, and that on the two outside ones is wearing out also. After this the experienced alone can determine the age of the horse, but it may be known to them by the teeth on the upper jaw. The disposition and temper of a liorse may be known by his eye, which, when large and full, betokens a good temper ; but when small, with a pro- jecting lid, the reverse is generally the case. Large heads are, in my opinion, very objectionable, as well as what are called Eoman noses, and, generally speaking, are indicative of a bad strain in blood. For carriage horses the shape of the heads may not be of much consequence, but for hunters a small head, or at least a thin one, is indispensable. I never yet saw a horse with a big burly head of good or lasting qualities in the field, although there are of course exceptions to most general rules. A friend of mine once purchased a fine-looking animal as a hunter, which he brought out in great form to exhibit, and asked my opinion of him. " His head," I replied, " is quite enough for me." "Well," he said, " but just cast your eye over him ; he is a splendid animal." " All, barring his knowledge- box." His make and shape were good ; in fact, he was what the dealers call a jine topped horse; but there was a deficiency of bone under the knee, as well as exuberance of head, and I advised my friend to consign him at once to the carriage. " Oh no," he replied, " he is a capital hunter, and I intend to show you the way to-day, if we have anything to do." We did have something to do, as it turned out ; but it was more than my friend could do to keep his big-headed brute together, and, after having given him some rattling falls, it ended by his stopping entirely at the last hill and giving in. The next time I saw him he was in his proper place, with a collar on his neck. A horse with a big body and thin legs can never carry weight 54 HORSES AND HOUNDS. througli a hard day. The finest form is of little use without good legs and feet, with plenty of bone and muscle. These are of the greatest importance to the hunter, and, without them, no horse can long stand the wear and tear of a hunter's life. Good flat hocks are also of first-rate consideration. A fine crest and neck, with high shoulders, present great attractions to many, but are not essential in a hunter. Horses with rather low shoulders, but fine at the point, and tliin necks, often prove good in the field, also showing greater speed ; and if possessed of other requisites, such as good chests and backs, standing low in the body, upon straight legs, I should prefer tliem to very high or large-shouldered animals. When in motion, a horse should go level and easy to himself, lifting his legs sufficiently high to clear the ground ; but very high-actioned horses are, in my opinion, very objectionable, either as hunters or hacks. Grand action is all very fine in a London carriage horse, or a park pack, where show is of such great importance ; but for wear and tear give me the level stepper, who will still be lifting a clean leg long after the others have been strained and bat- tered to pieces. Horses in at the elbows, as the term is, can seldom go with ease to themselves or comfort to their riders : they have a short and jarring action, and are liable to fall. In purchasing horses for myself, if satisfied with the appear- ance of the animal, the only trial I required was to have them led with a loose halter a certain distance, and then trotted back to where I was standing, and, strange as it may appear, I seldom mounted a horse before I purchased him. A farmer once brought me one which, at the first glance, Isaw was just the animal to suit me. Having quickly looked him over from head to foot, there was nothing out of order which I could detect, and I therefore inquired the price. The farmer thinking from my hasty examination that I did not intend to purchase, solicited me to mount and try his paces. This I declined, but made him walk the horse up to the yard door and trot him back. "Now, farmer," I said, "that will do ; how much do you ask for him f " Why, sir, I hope you will not think fifty-five guineas too much ; he is rough and dirty now, but I will take less if you think the figure too high, and I wish you would only put your leg over him." '' Put him in the stable, and here's your money." Those accustomed to horses seldom require more than five or ten minutes to look any animal well over ; but to the inexpe- HORSES AND HOUNDS. 55 rienced a much longer investigation is necessary. A narrow con- tracted foot and a wide one are equally to be avoided. The first is generally the result of disease or bad management in shoeing, and horses with the latter are liable to speedy cuts under the knees. Very long pasterns are objectionable, as also those in the other extreme. The distance, however, fiom the fetlock to the knee should be short, and the muscles of the arm full and large. It has been justly remarked that, for speed, a horse must have length somewhere, either in the body or the limbs. The former is far preferable to the latter, although I have had good hunters with short backs and bodies, but they were gene- rally what are called hiick leapers, and not very easy to sit on going over their fences. The diseases and imperfections of horses have been so fully described and pointed out by Mr. Laurence and other professors of the veterinary school, that I should probably be only sup- posed to be taking a leaf out of their book were I to go at any length into this their peculiar department. When the services of a clever veterinary surgeon can be obtained, it is the safest plan for the inexperienced to call in their assistance at once, and to avail themselves of professional advice, even in pur- chasing an animal. The fee to be paid on such occasions is a very trifling consideration in respect of the risk any unsophis- ticated person may run in being done out of a large sum of money by buying a brute, and the pleasure of having to keep him into the bargain. In the veterinary art, as well as others, doctors differ, as will be seen by the ballooning trial some time since, when some asserted that an animal so suspended must suffer ; others, that he did not. The case a])pears to have turned on this point — at least, so it is reported. The fact of the animal sweating exceedingly, which was alleged by the prosecutor as a proof of the supposed pain, was met by the evidence of wit- nesses, who deposed to the same condition in other horses, which, on the same evening, a very hot one, were standing quietly in their stables. The cases, in my opinion, are not analogous; and beyond that, they have no reference to each other. Sweating in horses, as well as in their lords and masters, w^e all know, can be produced by either excessive iiiglit, exces- sive heat, or excessive pain ; and I should like to see any philosopher who doubts the trutli of this assertion just sus- pended by his smallclothes to the car of a balloon, with his legs dangling under (only by way of experiment), to travel as high as the top of St. Paul's. There is nothing extraordinary in horses confined in close stables breaking out into a sweat in a very hot evening ; but there must be some other cause to pro- 56 HORSES AND HOUNDS. duce this effect were they standing only in the open field. The animal suspended to the car of the balloon must have been in a still cooler atmosphere, and therefore could not have sweated from excessive heat. His state, as deposed to, must have been produced by fright and pain combined, and, with all due defer- ence to learned opinions, I must, as advocating the cause of the horse and hound, maintain that such an experiment was an act of cruelty and nothing else. We all know that those engaged in surgical operations have little sympathy for the sufferings of their patients, and it is, perhaps, fortunate that the case is so ; but for this very reason, the evidence of such men, where a question arises as to the pain any animal, biped or quadruped, may suffer under an operation, should be listened to with caution. Every one has heard the story of the girl and the eel ; and her reply when rebuked for her cruelty in skinning them alive, " Law, sir, they be used to it." The fact is, she was so used to it that she never considered its cruelty. That any animal can be suspended in mid air to the car of a balloon without bodily suffering, I, for one, will never believe, though all the veterinary surgeons in London should decide to the contrary. It may be as well to notice some of the common kinds of lameness in horses, their probable causes, appearances, and effects. Lameness in the shoulder is occasioned by the muscles being overstrained, either by exertion, slipping, or falling, and may at once be known by the horse dragging his toe along the ground when moving. Hunters are more liable to this kind of lameness than horses used for other purposes, and it is wonderful that they are not more frequently lamed in this manner, when one considers the terrific falls they often meet with. It is a dangerous thing to trust a lancet in the hands of an inexperienced man, and therefore a veterinary surgeon should be sent for at once — fomentations being in the meantime ap- plied to the point of the shoulder and inside the arm. In this case I have found bleeding in the vein situated just at the bend of the arm of great efficacy in promoting a speedy cure, by subduing local inflammation at first. Rest, with plenty of hot water fomentations and a mild dose of physic, bran mashes, and a short allowance of corn, will do the rest. Sudden lameness is also caused when in exercise, by what is called the speedy cut, and I have known horses drop instantly to the ground from the pain. This is caused by the shoe strik- ing or cutting the part just inside of the knee. Horses with large feet, crooked legs, or rolling action, are very liable to injure HORSES AND HOUNDS. 57 themselves in this manner, and therefore are to be avoided. When a young man, at Oxford, and not fully initiated into the secrets of the jockey art, I got a most surprising fall from a big, lumbering brute, with large feet, which I rode a mile or two on the road by way of trial. Trotting him pretty briskly along to try his paces, he came down on a sudden, without the least trip or peck, as a hint of his intention, and gave me such a rattler that I have not forgotten it to this hour. I have had a pretty good loek out for speedy cuts ever since, having received a few cuts about the face and knees upon this occasion. But the worst part of the business was to follow. The brute broke his knees, as well as mine, fearfully, and I was obliged to buy him, as his owner, a very knowing old scoundrel, insisted it was all my fault. For a month nearly he was laid up in the stable, and I was glad to find a purchaser at any price, rather than ride him again. Broken knees, however, are not always caused by faults in the legs, feet, or action of a horse. In turning corners on slippery, or hilly ground, in frosty weather, greasy roads, pavement, wood pavement particularly (such is my horror and abomination), the cleanest steppers may sometimes turn up, and no blame to them. During frosty weather, horses' shoes should always be roughed, as the term is, and when they have to travel much over stones. In our hunting country, some parts of which are very hilly, my horse's shoes were always either turned up or grooved at the heel. A small steel point is best, as the grooves soon fill up. Many accidents were avoided by this plan, as it gave the horses a better purchase when going down hill at their fences. The treatment required for broken knees is simple enough when the skin is only abraded. Wash the part well with warm water until all dirt or grit is removed, and then ap- ply a linen bandage with tincture of myrrh and brandy mixed in equal proportions for twenty-four hours. A salve composed of lard and finely-powdered charcoal will be found sufficient afterwards. Should there be any deep cuts, however, different treatment will be necessary, or the horse may be lamed, or dis- figured for life. In bad cases, professional aid should be called in. Splints, or small excrescences on the bone under the knee, are also another cause of lameness, particularly when situated near the sinew, and the pain caused by striking them will occa- sion the horse to fall. The best application for these is mercu- rial ointment, to be rubbed in twice a day with the finger, not smeared all over the leg, but carefully confined to the excre- scence alone. They may be dispersed also by blister ointment. 58 HORSES AND HOUKDS. When removed, 1 would recommend the use of salt Tj^ater ban- dages to strengthen the legs ; but these must not remain on during the night, and should be kept constantly moist whilst in use. We now come to the ringbone, which, upon its first ap- pearance, may be reduced by mercurial charges, or blister oint- ment ; but if neglected is a sure cause of lameness. Diseases of the feet are common, and require to be treated by a clever veterinary surgeon, or incurable lameness will follow. 1 bought a horse once with only three hoofs,^t least one was in embryo ; he was a capital hunter, but from fever in one of his feet the hoof had sloughed off, and a new one had begun growing. In this state I bought him at a low price, and with rest and careful treatment, in about a twelvemonth the hoof had grown nearly to the size of the others, and he carried me well in the hunting-field for some years afterwards, without being in the least lame. Windgalls are also very common, the result of the tendons being overstrained ; to disperse these, when not very bad, rest and bandages will often sufiace, but in worse cases, blister ointment or mercurial charges must be employed. Rest, after all, is the chief restorative, and the horse should have a holiday in the summer season, by which, and the application of salt water bandages, they will not pro- bably return. Curbs are caused by a strain of the back tendon of the hind leg, and appear just below the hock-joint ; they will give way to the mercurial charge, or blister ointment, if taken in time ; and to prevent their re-appearance a slight firing is, I think, the best application. The irons should be used very lightly, so that no scar shall afterwards appear. ITie scoring which horses sometimes expe- rience at the hands of ignorant or unpractised professors, is not only cruel, but perfectly unnecessary, and there is no occasion ■for those _ transverse marks, which only add to the sufferings of the animal, and disfigure him also ever afterwards ; the iron should run in an oblique direction down the leg, ivith the sinews, and not across them. It was the fashion formerly, with many sporting men, to fire their horses before they required it, when any apparent weakness existed, acting, I suppose, upon the well-known adage, that "prevention is better than cure." My father was of this opinion, and once took advantage of my absence from home, after the hunting season, to operate upon two young horses I had lately purchased, much to my annoy- ance. They were perfectly sound and clean about their sinews, but the governor taking it into his head that they were not over strong on their pins, had them down, and a fool of a farrier HORSES AND HOUNDS. 59 applied tlie irons to such purpose up and down, lengthways and crossways on their legs, that they were disfigured for life ; remonstrance was useless, as the mischief was done, but I could not help being sadly out of temper when my father coolly remarked, " You said these horses suited you ; this firing will only, therefore, prevent their breaking down ; and there is another thing, you will not be able to sell them." Of internal imsoundness, roaring and broken wind are the most common causes, and most easily detected, but although volumes almost have been written as to the cure of the former, the case has been now pronounced nearly hopeless. Of broken wind there can be no question ; in the earlier stages, however, of roaring and broken wind, horses are capable of doing good service, with quiet treatment and at moderate paces. I have myself ridden roarers, hunting for several seasons without experiencing any ill effects either by falls or otherwise, but they required careful handling, and would not bear being suddenly forced to the top of their speed, or being driven hard against hilly ground ; they must also be allowed more time at their fences, when in the least distressed. The noise they make, although not perhaps accompanied with much pain to them- selves, is very painful to the rider. Whistling is next akin to roaring, proceeding from the same cause, contraction bing a dog all over with neatsfoot oil, as I have seen recom- mended, two or three times in the year, if these little trifiesare attended to. In a well conducted kennel of fox-hounds, ticks and fleas have no chance of existing to any extent, if they da at all, and, although persons ignorant of the great attention here paid to cleanliness might suppose these vermin would be con- stantly generating amongst such a number of dogs when lying and sleeping together, they would be surprised to find the coat of a well tended fox-hound more free from this nuisance than a lady's parlour dog. With the aid of a little plain sulphur sprinkled down their backs, which is to be thoroughly brushed out again on the third morning, clean straw, a healthy kennel, with "the occasional use of the white-washing brush on the walls, our fox-hounds are seldom troubled with such unpleasant visitors. The brush I consider a great auxiliary in promoting circula- tion and keeping the skins of hounds as well as horses, in a clean and healthy state, and the oftener it is used the better they will look. "\Mien requiring cleaning the brush should be dipped in spirits of turpentine. It ^^ill not occupy much time to brush over twenty couples of hounds, and this I used to have done in the summer months, whilst they were out of the kennel under the shade of trees. My old kennel huntsman, who lived many years with the late Mr. "Ward, generally carried a brush in his coat pocket, and employed his leisure time in making his favourites look smart, by brushing them over when walking about the park. He was very attentive and particular as to the good appearance of the pack, as we had many visitors to the ken- nel during the vacation time, and, if any particular hound did not look clean enough to suit his fancy, the wash tub was put in requisition, and a thorough good scouring with soft soap and hot water administered. The hounds subjected to this ordeal were, however, wiped thoroughly dry afterwards, and then brushed and combed with a small tooth comb, which the old gentleman always carried in his waistcoat pocket, and I sus- pect, applied as well to smooth down his own grey locks. In those days the warm bath after hunting was not in fashion, at least in our kennel, and I have stated elsewhere that, after having fairly tried the experiment, it was given up, because in the cold winter months I considered its use attended with more injury than benefit to the hounds, simply for this reason, that they could not be thoroughly dried afterwards, except at the expense of much more time and labour than could be con- veniently spared. That which cannot be well done is scarcely HORSES AND HOUNDS. Ill wortli while to do at all. The foot bath, however, was always used freely, and the brush when the hounds were dirty. Swim- ming in ponds and rivers I have also heard highly extolled as conducive to the health of dogs, but I cannot say that my expe- rience has led me to any such conclusion, but quite to the con- trary one. A cold bath or two occasio7ialli/, during the summer months, can do no harm, but the practice of swimming dogs often proves prejudicial to them. This I saw proved to demon- stration one season with my own pack. The summer was a hot one, and my old huntsman, although no water fancier himself, thought it would do his pets good to have a dip every other morning, or at least twice a week. He carefully avoided bringing his own nose in contact with this to him obnoxious element (and it would have hissed again like a red hot poker if he had), iDut walking the hounds over a bridge upon which he stationed the whip to prevent their returning, he called them across the stream, and this was repeated two or three times each morning. They had then three miles to return to the kennels, by which time the hounds were tolerably if not quite dry. In the autumn, after all this swimming, the hounds broke out in spots, and became so mangy that they required to be dressed and physicked, and again in October we were absolutely obliged to stop work, and have recourse to another dressing, and the free use of alterative medicines before we could get their skins clean from eruptions. Several were attacked with canker in the ear also, which I have always considered as a species of mange, originating from the suppression of the proper secretions of the body, an overheated system, the use of improper food, or checked perspiration of the skin ; for, although we know that dogs chielSy perspire by the tongue, yet there is always an invi- sible action of the pores of the skin, which any sceptic may be easily convinced of by the effluvia which arises from a mangy lot of dogs huddled together in some unhealthy kennel. For all eruptions of the skin, mange, and canker in the ear, alteratives are the chief remedy, and without their use no per- manent cure can be efiected. I have used for this purpose sulphur and cream of tartar, equal parts of each, antimony and ^thiop's mineral, with a dose of castor oil or syrup of buckthorn afterwards on the following morning. In the summer and autumn months, when the weather was hot and sultry, Epsom Baits were generally used in my kennels, both as medicine and in smaller quantities as alteratives. With the month of June the holidays, or rest-time, with the old hounds expired, and in July we commenced training them again for the hunting season. We began with two or three 112 HORSES AND HOUNDS. hours' exercise witli the horses every morning, gradually ex- tending the time and distance, walking first, trotting after- wards, and then winding up with a good canter across turf. When, after a brisk gallop over the downs, the hounds' mouths shut almost immediately upon pulling up, we then considered them in tolerably good wind and condition to commence opera- tions in cub-hunting. For this purpose our home country was as severe and trying to hounds as could well be selected, the hills being nearly as steep as the roof of a house, and the coverts abounding in blackthorn, so that we were obliged to Lave them in thorough good trim before encountering these difficulties. In case of the hounds slipping away with an old fox, there was little chance either of one being able to stop them in a hurry, there being scarcely any drives in the woods where we might view a fox, or get to the hounds. There were no little isolated spinneys, where we could pick up a brace of cubs in half an hour or so, as is the case in many countries, or fine, flat, open woodlands, but all our cub-hunting coverts were of the roughest and most uncomeatable description, and for tearing hounds to pieces, as bad as gorse brakes. In such places hounds could not be stopped, and if they found an old fox they would have their wicked way with him, for half a dozen miles or so, be- fore we might have it in our power to get up with them, often streaming away across the country, through standing barley, over which I have had many a gallop ; but our farmers, almost all to a man, were of the right sort, and never made complaints of an outbreak of this kind. Upon one occasion we had, at the commencement of cub- hunting, as severe a day as often occurs in the regular _ hunting season. On the outskirts, and just adjoining our neighbour's country, there had been a litter of cubs bred, in some pretty little brakes, lying nicely together, and far away from any other woods, and as both Jim and myself were of opinion that they were in rather a ticklish situation, and not likely to remain there very long, we resolved on paying them a visit as early as possible, expecting an easy day and an easy prey; we accord- ingly took all our young hounds to rattle these cubs about, but we were destined to catch a Tartar in the shape of an old fox, and the dressing he gave us was not easily forgotten. We had drawn all the other coverts blank, when, at the end of the last brake we had to try, an old fox went immediately away, and at first we were unable to stop the hounds ; but, as he merely took a short ring and returned to the coverts, we thought we might probably manage to catch him without any very great exertions, and we had no other place to draw. The scent was not HORSES AND HOUNDS. 113 particularly good, and we had about an hour's work badgering about the coverts; then the old gentleman, not relishing the hustling we gave him, went away over the open fields into our neighbour's country, and, taking a wide circuit, made his point for some other small brakes, about two miles distant from where we found him. Here the scent improved, and we were congratulating ourselves upon the prospect of the speedy ful- filment of our sanguine hopes in eating him, when a fresh fox interposed to save his life, and away went the hounds up wind, as hard as they could tear away for about five miles, before we could get up to stop them. When we did so, neither Jim nor myself were in a very agreeable mood ; we therefore kept our thoughts to ourselves for awhile, looking over the hounds to see if there were any missing. They were all right. " Well, sir," said Jim at last, "this is an awkward piece of business, with all the young hounds out too, to be done in this manner, and that litter of cubs ! I thought how it would be with that man that looked after them so well. The young hounds wont be much the better for this morning's work any way." " That's just my opinion, Jim, if we leave off in this manner ; so come along, we must have that old fox's head to finish with." " It can't be done, sir, I am afraid," replied Jim ; " we have five miles at least to go back to the brakes where we changed, and by that time he may be five miles another way." '" Very likely," I said, " but I will try and get up with him again." So oft' we went. Our hunted fox, having nearly enough already, was not sorry for the shady shelter of the wood on this hot day, and there he waited our return. We were soon at him again, and, after two or three quick turns, he broke away, with the hounds close in his wake, for the coverts in which we had first found him in the morning, and there we at last finished him off, much to' Jim's satisfaction, and all parties concerned. ^ Taking the time of year and the heat of the day into con- sideration, it was a tough piece of business for young hounds, which had only been out three or four times before. We had been at work on and off for more than seven hours, and had our hounds not been in good hard condition, we could not have overhauled this hardy old fox. A small quantity of Epsom salts was given the following morning, and in a couple of days the hounds were all right again. The lesson of this day, though a severe one, was not lost upon the young hounds, and they gave us very little trouble afterwards ; our general practice, however, in the cub-hunting season was to stop from an old fox, if possible, and stick to the cubs ; for a hard day without blood, if prejudicial to an old pack I 114 HOKSES AND HOUNDS. of hounds, is much more so to the young. Having gone so far in the business, on the above occasion, I knew it would not do to leave off beaten. After a severe day at any period of the year, but especially during cub-hunting, it was our custom not to feed heavily upon the hounds' return to the kennel ; they had then a certain quantity, and were fed again in three or four hours' time. During the early part of the season, in our home country, I had generally a meal of whey reserved for them at a farm-house, on their way home from hunting, which is both cooling and refieshing in hot weather. In many hunting establishments the number of hounds is often too large for the country, and this is one reason why they are fed so lightly, not having sufficient work to keep them in proper condition with- out very thin food. I had rather keep fewer in number, feed higher, and work them harder, by which a great saving in oatmeal would be effected, and I am quite satisfied better sport ensured. Young hounds cannot well be hunted too often, as long as they hold their condition, and then three days a week are not too much for them. I have heard a very good sportsman say that he never let his young hounds rest as long as they could get oft' the benches, and sometimes had them turned out when unwilling to go. This was carrying the thing too far, but the other extreme is equally bad. To prove my assertion, I may mention an instance which came under my own observation with a pack of hounds some few years since. Money being then of little consideration with the master, a very large body of hounds had been kept up, just twice as many, or nearly so, as the country required, and their sport had never been very particular. Being, however, subse- quently offered a large price for a certain number of couples, he was induced to part with them, and his pack was reduced from nearly eighty to about forty couples, and still he continued to hunt three and four days a week, never being able to take more than eighteen couples into the field. With this short comple- ment of hounds, well fed and often hunted, they had better sport than for many preceding seasons, and killed more foxes. We all know that some countries lame hounds more tlian others, but, in my opinion, fifty couples of good and efficient hounds, taking young and old together (brood bitches and stud hounds being excepted), are a sufficient number to hunt any country in England four days per week. I know a first-rate gentleman huntsman who was induced last year to part with some of his hounds for a high consideration, and he has been working through this severe season, with barely thirty couples, three days a week, and in a country where foxes are not very HORSES AND HOUNDS. 115 easily brought to hand. Moreover, he has killed more foxes, and enjoyed better sport, than any of his neighbours. CHAPTER XIX Eounding and education of young hounds — How to avoid their nin- nint^ deer — Mr. Ward's practice — Severity not necessary — Good behaviour of the author's own pack through a preserve — Exercise highly essential — Cub-hunting — A noisy whipper-in of no use — Earth-stopping — Wages to earth-stoppers in different parts of the country — Different breeds of foxes in England, France, and Germany. The young hounds should be well over the distemper, and ac- customed to go without couples, before they are rounded ; the loss of blood from this operation is sometimes excessive, and I once lost several young hounds from their being rounded before thoroughly recovered from the effects of distemper. It should not be deferred too long, however, and a cool day should be chosen for the purpose. The hounds should be fed early in the morning, or they will become sick and faint from loss of blood, and perhaps eat nothing afterwards on that day. Preparation for the hunting season now commences. The young hounds will be kept separate from the pack until about a month before the campaign opens. In the meantime they are supposed to have received their proper education. When for the first time taken among deer, it is safer to have them in couples, to prevent mischief. If you have no deer yourself, permission may be easily obtained from your neighbours to al- low your young hounds to exercise an hour or two once or twice a week in their parks. They will soon become accustomed to them ; and the huntsman, by crossing them over the scent, will instruct them not to stoop to it. The scent of the deer is the sweetest of all game, and I have often seen young hounds, even so late as March, when they ought to be quite steady, flash away at a wild deer, although they would never think of run- ning them in a park. It was a general rule with the late Mr. Ward, whose hounds were proverbially steady, never to allow, even in the hunting season, more than four or five couples of young hounds to go into the forest at a time, or into any coverts where deer were known to resort. Prevention is better than cure, and every precaution should be taken to keep a pack of fox-hounds steady to their own game. I remember seeing a tame doe in Mr. Ward's kennel, which fed out of the same I 2 116 HORSES AND HOUNDS. trough with the hounds. I had also, when I first commenced keeping fox-hounds, tame rabbits and a hare wliich lived in the kennel with the hounds. I had a great deal of trouble with these hounds, coming, as they did, from several kennels, to pre- vent tbem killing the rabbits, but by my constant attention and watching, they soon found out that they were forbidden fruit, and the rabbits and hounds became friends. Having at that time little to do, I tried many experiments with hounds, and I could make them do almost anything I told them. If any of my readers imagine this was effected by the whip, or harsh means, I beg to undeceive them — no severity was ever_ had re- course to. Others may say it was only waste of time and unnecessary, and that hounds can be made quite steady enough without any such trouble. This I admit ; but my situation at that time was a peculiar one. I had a lot of draft hounds got together from different kennels, with which I had to commence a new country unaccustomed to fox-hounds, and with scarcely a fox in it. There were many large game preservers, and one in particu- lar, who had some very fine coverts in the heart of the country. When I called upon him, and asked his permission to draw his coverts for a fox, he appeared astonished at my impudence, and said he was quite sure there was no such animal as a fox there, and he could not allow his pheasants and hares to be driven about and killed by my rough dogs. I told him my hounds were much better bred than he supposed, and were too polite to touch his hares, if requested not to do so. Upon this point he was very incredulous, saying, that although my hounds might not run his hares, they would chop them up if they came in their way. "Well, sir," I said, "I will make an agreement with you, and it is this, that if one hound I bring with me kills a hare, or even snaps at one, I will never ask to draw your coverts again, and you yourself shall be judge." This proposal seemed to tickle his fancy, and he at once agreed to it, think- ing, I have no doubt, that he should get rid of me and the hounds too. A day was fixed for a private rehearsal, and I ac- cordingly made my appearance before his house with about sixteen couples of hounds. The old gentleman (being a grey- hound breeder himself) came down to look them over, seemed pleased with their appearance, and ordered his pony round to accompany me to the scene of action, which was some small coverts with high underwood (always a ticklish place for riot), and literally swarming with hares. I saw, by a quiet smile ex- changed between the master and head-keeper, that they con- eidered this to be the first and last appearance of my hounds HORSES AND HOUNDS. 117 on this liitlierto forbidden ground. They had laid a trap for me, by taking me first to this hollow covert, but they were, like some other clever people, caught themselves. When ready for action, I coolly asked the old gentleman how long he wished me to take in drawing this particular wood, as I would keep the hounds there as long as he pleased, having intended them to be at his own disposal the whole day. " Not longer than necessary," he replied. As soon as the hounds were thrown in, the wood seemed almost alive with game ; I never saw be- fore or since such a quantity in so small a space, — the hares rushed about like mad in all directions, running against each other and the hounds, and one or two screamed out. " Halloo," said the under-keeper, who was with me, " they have killed one or two hares, I'm sure." " No," I said, " they have not ; it is only your bellows-headed brutes trying to knock my hounds oif their legs, and then crying out because they are hurt." After searching in every direction, no dead hare, however, could be found, and when I had let the hounds run over the whole covert, every corner of it, I called them together, and brought them all out. for their faces to be inspected, that any marks of blood might be seen if they had offended. The old gentle- man appeared satisfied, and the keepers looked blank. " Well," he said, "you have won the day." "No, sir," I replied, "I have only won half an hour yet — the day is yours, and your keepers may catch us tripping before it is dark." "No," he said, " that shall not be ; I like both your conduct and your hounds too. Take your hounds home now, and if you have nothing better to do, and can dispense with bachelor's fare, come and dine with me tliis evening." I did so, and from that time an intimacy subsisted between us until the day of his death, which was deplored by all his acquaintances, rich and poor, since, notwithstanding his partiality for game, he was as kind and good-hearted a man as ever lived. Permission to hunt his coverts was a passport also to others, and at public coursing meetings and other places he always gave me and my hounds a good character. Whether hounds are strictly steady or not, in these days, is of little consequence. Fox-hunting is now established upon a different footing. Public opinion with some men is every- thing, and there is many a man who wishes fox-hunters and hounds at the bottom of the sea, obliged to meet them with a smile, and openly give orders to his keepers to preserve foxes. His secret orders are another affair. Young hounds cannot have too much exercise ; they should go several miles a day, in every direction roimd the kennel, to 118 HORSES AND HOUNDS. make tliem acquainted with the country ; through towns and villages wliich lie in their way, and to all the places of meeting. Tliey may also draw plantations and small coverts where hares abound, or be taken through warrens. They should be crossed also over the track of hares, when they are not in view. By such means young hounds may be made handy and tractable be- fore hunting commences, and the better they are instructed, the less trouble they will give afterwards. Begin cub-hunting as early as you can. Draw off about twelve couples of your old and stanch hounds, more if they can be spared, and put them and the young together, to form a pack. This is far preferable to putting a few couples at a time into the body of the pack ; and by this arrangement you will prevent the one and two sea- son hunters from being again unsettled. The old steady hounds will by their example soon teach the young what they are to do, and by Christmas this pack will become as steady as the other. It will also save your three and four seasoned hounds from summer work. I generally began cub-hunting early in August; in some countries you may begin earlier. Take your young hounds the first time to an easy place, where there is a good litter of foxes, and not much riot. The whipper-in should first examine all the earths, to see that they are properly stopped, for they are often opened by badgers and fox stealers, after the earth-stopper has left the covert. Then throw your hounds quietly in and let them work themselves ; don't be in a hurry, and allow no hallooing and hustling. Young foxes, at this sea- son of the year, are weak, and easily brought to hand ; there is no occasion, therefore, for a huntsman to be in a hurry. If there are rides in the coverts, where the young hounds can oc- casionally catch a view of their game, you may give them a turn every now and then ; but if your hounds are well bred, they will generally join with the cry after the first ten minutes, and in that case they are better left alone. The whippers-in will be so stationed as to check them from running improper game, and that is all that is required of them. Allow of no hallooing and cracking of whips, which will serve only one pur- pose— to frighten the young hounds and disgust the old. When a hound is running riot, I have often heard a whipper-in halloo- ing with all his might, and cracking his whip, and I can con- ceive little Mischief safe in the high covert, chuckling within herself and saying, " All that is very fine, Mr. Jack ; but I don't care two straws for your cracked voice, and I shall have my fun out." Now, T have known a quiet sensible man go down at once to where the riot was, without saying a word, wait quietly his HORSES AND HOUNDS. 119 opportunity until little Mischief thouglit tlie coast was clear, and had come out into shorter wood, and then pounce upon her like lightning, with one or two cuts of the lash. Instead of rating her at the top of his voice, with a considerable quantity of damson jne in addition, he would merely tell Mischief to leave -that fun alone, for the next time she did it he would break half the bones in her skin, I have known such a whipper-in, when the young hounds were all in a charm, running riot together, sit as quietly on his horse as if nothing was the matter, until he saw they were in his power ; he would then dash at once in among them, like a hawk into a flock of birds. I have heard him, also, when he could not get at them, telling them what they might expect when they met. His usual rate, "What next, I wonder, hey, you mischievous curs f in his strong, angry voice, was generally a sufficient hint, and all were quiet. He never struck a hound unnecessarily, nor mistook Jupiter for Juno, and did not very often get out of temper; but when he did strike a hound, it was to such purpose that he did not soon forget it. His look, too, and manner, when not pleased, were too decided to be mistaken, but I never heard him crack his wdiip once in a week. An idle, stupid fellow, with a good voice, is one of the greatest nuisances that a pack of hounds can be exposed to. He fancies he has always something to do, and something to say ; with not sufficient tact to catch hounds when at riot, and punish them in the act, he generally waits his opportunity to vent his ill- humour upon them when out of covert, or perhaps when assem- bled round the huntsman. Such a fellow will do much more mischief than good : draft him at once. A whipper-in has no right to strike a hound out of cover, much less when flying to hi^ huntsman for protection. His presence ought to be his security. If young hounds will not come out of cover when called by the huntsman, it is the business of the whipper-in to go into the covert and drive them out ; not stand outside halloo- ing, that his musical voice may be heard. In cub hunting there is no necessity to eat up a whole litter of cubs at once, as I knew a famous Leicestershire _ huntsman boast of doing. One or two at most are quite sufficient to kill in one day. Young foxes will often get tired altogether, after the hounds have been running and changing them for an hour or two. There is no merit in killing them then ; therefore, when your hounds have caught one, after an hour's work, take them home. That is quite sufficient for the first day. After the young hounds have been out two or three times, and begin to know their game, j^ou may then take them to large woodlands, 120 HOKSES AND HOUNDS. where they will have more work to do. The more they scratch their faces, the better they will turn out in the end. By hunting the large coverts during the months of August and September, you will not only break your young hounds in, but foxes wdll fly from them in the season and give you better chases. Every litter of foxes, however, should have a turn before October. It will teach them to get out of the way of shooters and their dogs, and make them seek other places of refuge. It has been asserted by some masters of fox-hounds, that main earths being generally known to poachers as v>^ell as keepers and earth- stoppers, are unsafe places for cubs to be bred in. They are, however, seldom laid up in such places. The vixen generally deposits her young in some bye earth or large rabbit pipe, away from the main earths, to which, when a month or two old, they will often remove. Foxes which have been bred underground will find earths somewhere, or use drains, from which they may be much more easily taken than from a large head of main earths. Stopping up these large places of refuge for the whole season, as suggested by some writers on fox-bunting, is, in my humble opinion, a very objectionable plan ; your foxes will then go wide away into your neighbour's country, or seek shelter in less secure places. The larger a head of earths is the better. They should all and always be kept open, unless when required to be stopped the night before hunt- ing, and invariably be opened again the same evening, and every pipe cleaned out. The earth-stopper, or keeper, who has the charge of these main earths, should be well paid for his trouble in looking after them, and it is the business of the whipper-in to pay them a visit occasionally, to see that no tricks are played. It is no such easy matter to get a fox out of a strong head of earths. Poachers do bolt them into purse nets with a good dog, and sometimes a large net is set up all round the earths, with sticks and bells ; but it takes time to do all these things,^ and a good earth-stopper should visit the earths once a day, either going or returning from his work. A man who has a large head of earths to attend to, ought to receive five shillings at least for each stopping out at night, and half-a-crown for putting them to in the morning. As all our sport depends so much upon this work being done properly, it is good policy, if no better motive exists, to reward these men handsomely, as it is in their power not only to pay themselves by selling foxes, but also to spoil a day's sport by carelessness or inattention. Much will, of course, depend upon the country you hunt, and the master of the coverts, whether lie is at heart a real well-wisher to fox-hounds or not. In some HORSES AND HOUNDS. 121 countries the fees to keepers and eartli-stoppers form a very- heavy item in the expenses of the establishment, which the master has to bear. In others a separate fund is raised for this purpose. In some clay districts, such as the Roothings of Essex, foxes are often bred above ground, in old hollow stools, or laid up in gorse coverts. These foxes are always the best and straightest runners, trusting to their stoutness and knov/ledge of country to beat their pursuers. There are three breeds of foxes common in Great Britain. The large light-coloured greyhound fox, generally found in the north of England, Scotland, and Wales, — also on the wild hills of Devonshire, and in some other counties ; the bulldog fox, dark-coloured, with a large head ; and the cur, a small red fox, to which I think we are indebted to our Gallic friends the other side of the Channel. There are, of course, mixed breeds to be found in every county, but these three are, I think, or were, distinct species. The greyhound fox has almost disap- peared, where some years ago he was well known, and the large importations of French foxes have certainly proved a very poor substitute. They cannot or will not run, and lie down when the least blown in the open, until the hounds are upon them. They are also always prowling about the farm-yard, and do more mischief than they are worth. When commencing a new country many years ago, I obtained some foxes from Germany — and a hue lot of cubs they were — in colour and size resembling the old greyhound fox, but much thicker in their coats and larger in their heads. They came over from Frankfort in the bottom of an old boat, a lid being made to it, full of air-holes, and they reached me more than one hundred miles from London in good health and condition. After having kept them a few days in a large airy barn, I had them taken into the best part of my country to some strong earths, where I appointed a man to look after them and feed them regiilarly every night with rabbits, at nine o'clock. These my whipper-in had to cany twice a week in a sack, fifteen miles, from the 1st of June to the 1st of September. Young foxes, if turned down in a strange place, require regular feeding every night till they can catch their own prey, which is not quite so soon as some people imagine. It is quite true that young foxes, in their natural state, feed upon beetles and mice, but cubs turned down, if not regularly fed, will wander away anywhere, and be soon starved to death or killed by sheep dogs. Should they, however, escape such a fate, and contrive to exist, it is ten to one but they become mangy, and ruin half your good foxes. The mange in foxes is very different to the mange in 133 HOBSES AXD ^0T:^1>s. dogs : with tlie former it inyariably proves fatal, and is very contagions. Of the dnties of hnnt^men and wliippers-in in my next j what thev sJiould, and what they sJiould n':>t be. CHAPTER XX. On t'-- -■-;^ ---—■' ari obiracter of a t'onrsmas — iC^takes of young 1 — > ^-'-'i Ti:s; of hoTHids -will kill foxes by themselves — G f-^n rn^e bad hxmrsmen — Laid up ilL and mj Tr_.-:Tr-^:i snan — Field pleased at first — Sc<:'n wanted my rfrj!r:i — ~ir - reg-jmrnj mv place — ^Anecdote oi John Ward — A i:':i- r^:-c:^ : ..riied whipper-in — Jack and the Gh«5St. A HI Msww who is to be entrusted with the chief direction and management of the pack, which is very mnch the custom in the pr^ni day, I need scarcely remark, should be a man of undoubted gjd voice so much the better ; but a noisy fellow is my abomination. He should be good-tempered and quiet with his hounds, giving them time always to make their own ca.st ;irst. before he at^mpts to interfere. We mtist make all due 'allowances for the esciiement inseparably connected with a fox-chase, and it is therefore more re^^uisite to have a man with a cool head at that most critical peric*d, the first check. I have seen huntsmen &3 flurried at an unexp>ected check, that they were all abroad, catching hold of the hounds in their hurry, without allowing them time to make their own cast, and carry- ing them off at once, to make a scientific display of their mis- called genius. Others, who are jealous of being overtaken when having a good start, will commit the same blunder by over haste, and in trying to beat the field only beat themselves. More haste less sr^eed, I once heard of a very dashing huntsman, who hunted a pack of hounds near one of our learned Univemties, and whose field was often greeted by the sons of Alma Mater. These young gentlemen being out for the day, and reqtiiring a good gallop to digest their Latin and Greek, generally tipped the huntsman pretty freely, and they had their burst accordingly; for Joe A5D HOr^TDi 123 wonld give them a rattling cast forward when the aeent £dle«], or, pretending he heard a halloo, go full tilt to the next cor&t^ two or three miles oft We cannot put old heads on Yoang f^MxMers; and yoong htrntsmen the first seas-^n -will often commit aU kinds ci Um^ ders. Their situation is a novel one. and, natmaDy «ioiig}i, thev try to exhibit their genius. This desire to diatingnifth themselves will generally ojoI down, or it ought to do so, after the novelty has worn o:£ It is very landable to end£a:voiir to gain the good opinion of their master and the gentlemen of the conntry l^y the display of every talent they may po^ess ; but this may h-e carried too far. A conceited huntsman is a mon- strons nnisance. An observant man will soon find out tJbat a good pack of honnis know their business better than he can teach them, and will allow the honnds to display thdr graiiiis before he displays kU. It has been asserted by high antfaGsity that a piack of honnds, if left to themselves, wonld seldom kfll a fox. My opinion is. that a really good pack of hounds would seldom miss one. Everything depends npon the system pwr- sned, and the education of the pack. Hie present systrai of lifting hounds to halloos and over fellows, naturally disposes them to be iudiffCTent about a bad scent Expecting assistance either firom a halloo or a cast forward, they will give th^Dselres little tDjnble in working out the line of scent over bad groand ; and I Lave seen them looking up at their huntsman, as nradi as to say, " There, we have done enough : now yon must help ns." Let these honnds change masters, and receive no assistance^ they wonld soon put their n«D6es down. and. although at first make but a poor fight with a flying fox. they wonld soon work thrc»uo^ difficulties, and learn to depend nj^K^n their own exer- tions. Well bre*! hounds will always get fDrward with the scent, and make the most of it when it is foiling. A little assist- ance wiU go a long way. but it never should be given until absolutely required, which is very seldom. It does not necessarily follow that a first-rate whipper-in will make a first-rate huntsman — very often the reverse. A really good whipper-in sometimes makes a wretched huntsman, Hieir duties are widely diSerent, and their genius or talents are to be employed in a very different direction, I knew a capital whipper-in who refused to accept a huntsman's situation, and his reason was not a bad one, " I have been now," he said, ** many years in my present place as first whipper-in, and am proud to say have given satisfaction to my master and the gen- tlemen, and kn-jw my business tolerably well : but if I t«x>k a himtsman's place, and failed, which is very likely. I should not 124 HORSES AND HOUNDS. like to go back again to be wliipper-in." This man reasoned rightly, and knew himself better, perhaps, than he then thought. It so happened that the establishment in which he had acted so satisfactory a part as whipper-in, was soon afterwards broken tip by the death of his master. The huntsman retired, and being very strongly urged by the new master and the country gentlemen to hunt the hounds, he reluctantly complied, but his forebodings came true ; he failed in his new situation as hunts- man, and after a year's trial gave it up in disgust, and retired upon his earnings. This is not a solitary case. It has been asserted by Beckford, that a first whipper-in should be able to hunt the hounds occasionally — in fact, be a second huntsman. This I admit should be the case ; for a whipper-in, who has had many years' experience, and been looking on at the game so long, must be a monstrous goose not to be able to handle the cards at a pinch, when the hunts- man might, from accident or illness, be unable to be at his post. I have known, however, a good deal of mischief done in a very short space of time by one of these would-be huntsmen ; it happened with my own hounds. From an accident, I was laid up for about a month in the heart of the season, and of course my first whip was obliged (not very reluctantly I fancied) to fill my place. He was one ot the best men in that capacity I ever had, or almost ever knew, but too hasty and impatient to make a good huntsman, before he had cooled down a little. The hard riders of my field were very fond of him, and in high glee (so much for gratitude) when they heard of my being laid on the shelf for some time, and Master Jem to play first fiddle. " Now," they said, " we shall have it all our own way ; with the S(iuire on his back, and Jem with the horn, wont we have some clipping bursts, and no hold hards, with a kill in the open, after a twenty-five minutes' burst !" I gave my whipper-in cer- tain advice as to his behaviour with the hounds, but I could see he was rather too much prepossessed with his own anticipated grand performances to pay much attention to it, and he left my room for his first essay, with grand ideas of what he should do. Evening came, and Jem to make his report, but no fox's head. Scent was bad, and the hounds would not attend to him. " Never mind," I said, " this is only what I expected ; better luck is coming." The next fixture was in our best grass country, with a good flying fox or two in it. Having cautioned him again not to be in a hurry with the hounds when they came to check, Jem set out on liis second trial. Wlien he returned it was very late, I HORSES AND HOUNDS. 125 and, as I expected, he had had a good day. Upon his appear- ance in my room, I asked, " What sport ?" " Oh, sir," he said, " we have had a capital run." " Well," I said, " and you have brought his head home this time, I hope." " No, sir, I am sorry to say I have not. We had a capital burst over the grass up to the hills, and were running into him, as everybody thought, in the open, when, after leaving the last hedge on the edge of the downs, the hounds suddenly threw up, and we could never hit upon him afterwards. I made a wide cast, but could not recover the scent, and I cannot think what became of him." "Well," I said, "I think I can. Whilst you were making your wide cast into the next parish, the fox being per- haps blown, and having laid himself down in the ditch, gave you the slip, Master Jem ; that's all about it." " Well, sir," he said, " 1 think you are right, after all. We were rather hasty, I must confess, and some of the hard riding gentlemen would have it that the fox was forward ; but I wont listen to them another time." For a month Jem had it all his own way, but his high- wrought expectations were not realized. Few foxes' heads returned to the kennel door, so few that his fast friends began to inquire a little more after the old squire's health. They had, however, occasionally a fair day or two, and, upon one occasion, the thing they had been expecting to have every day — a burst of twenty minutes, as hard as they could go, with a kill in the open. The whoops, I am told, were something extraordinary upon the accomplishment of this feat, but it ended in a row. One of Jem's fast friends, a sporting doctor, who always rode fast and furious, happening to beat Jem in pace, was up first, and jumping off his horse, dashed in among the hounds for the brush, and began laying about him with his whip. This roused Jem's ire, who was second in the race, and perhaps on that ac- count not in the best of humours, and he retaliated upon the doctor's shoulders. A fight would have taken place but for others coming up and interfering. The doctor was so irate, that he threatened to report Jem's conduct at head-quarters ; but I heard nothing more of it, both being too much excited at the time, I believe, to know what they were about. Towards the end of the month, calls from my sporting friends became rather more numerous, and several sat some time with me, seeming very anxious to know when I should be well enough to take the field again. " Oh !" I said, "in about another month ; but you don't want me, you have Jem all to yourselves. By the bye," I said, "I have a strong idea that I shall find the hounds wonderfully improved." " Oh 1" they said, " Jem is all 126 HORSES AND HOUNDS. very well, and a capital wliipper-in, but, someliow or other, we don't get on quite so well as we thought, and we want you out again." Although not much flattered, I thought it necessary to make my appearance as soon as possible, and I did so imme- diately I could sit in the saddle. My first fixture was to draw some rather large woods, where there were plenty of foxes, and I was most cordially greeted by my expectant friends once more at the covert side, all so glad to see me. " How do ye do, old fellow — hope you're all right — can't do without you !" and all that sort of trash. I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff. We soon found, and had a brace or leash of foxes on foot. For the first twenty minutes or so the hounds rattled away as usual, but after that I saw two or three at a time stand out in the rides, when they came to a momentary check, and looked about. As soon as the ground was rather foiled, more did the same thing, and presently the whole body came to a stand, with their heads well up. Then a halloo from Jem — at it again for a short time ; then a scream from somebody else — to him again ; so the thing went on for nearly an hour, and, I must confess, I was as sulky as a bear with a sore ear. There were the same hounds in appearance I had been so proud of only a month before, and what were they then ? Jem took pretty good care to be out of hearing distance, but I met with liim at last. Just as I did so, another halloo from the top of the covert. "There, sir," he said, "he is gone away at last." " No," I said, " he is not, at least not m?/fox ; and now one word with you. I am huntsman to-day, not you ; now mind what I say. The hounds shall not leave this covert until you hear my horn outside. They shall go to no halloo but mine, if ten foxes break covert ; they shall be stopped every time. These are my positive orders. You know your duty as whipper-in — do it." Jem, seeing how matters stood, murmured something about a good run spoilt, which I told him was my concern, and not his, and executed my orders. Still the screaming went on, as soon as any fox made his appearance at the edge of the wood, and being at one time in a ride very near the outside, I heard one man exclaim, " I'll be hanged if I don't halloo till he does come." In a moment I was outside, and riding up to this gentleman, I said, " Now, sir, I am come, pray what do you want with me V " All I have to say, sir, is," he replied, " that a fox is gone over that field, and your whipper-in stopped the hounds, saying such were your orders," " Very true, sir, such are my orders." " Then, I suppose," he said, " you are going to keep the hounds in covert all day, and spoil our sport." "No," I replied, "I am not, although you and others have nearly spoilt my hounds by hal- HORSES AN-D HOUXDS. 127 looing and driving for the last month ; yet I mean to give you a run by and bye, if you have patience, but I will have no more hallooing. My hounds are running one fox, which I intend to stick to, and you are hallooing another." I returned to my business with the old fox, which I had seen several times before the hounds, and by riding with them through the wood, high and low, I kept them at him, and we had it soon all to ourselves, without another fox remaining. The scent improved, and find- ing his quarters too hot to hold him, the old fox at last broke away over a fine grass vale, and we ran into him in the open. My noisy friend directly came up, and said he was sorry he had ofl:ended me by hallooing, and thanked me at the same time for the run we had given him. " Now," I said, " I will show you the fox you wished me to follow in the morning ; he is only gone across a couple of fields into another large wood, where I think we shall get upon him again, and you will then see whether you or I know most about spoiling sport." We accordingly went to this covert, and soon got upon him, but, having had a tolerable dusting in the morning, he showed no disposition to try his old quarters again, even across tw^o fields, and we soon disposed of him. Congratulations now poured in, and we went on satisfactorily after this day. Jem quietly settled down to his work as usual ; in fact, I think he was not sorry to do so, his debid as huntsman not having quite satisfied either himself or friends. After a few years more he obtained a first-rate place as hunts- man, which he wished, however, to decline, and would have done so, but for my pressing and almost forcing him to accept it. The month's probation he had had with me was not lost time, for he had good sense enough to see the errors he had committed by over haste and excitement, and he is now hunts- man in a large establishment, where, I think, he cannot fail to give satisfaction. There are, however, many first-rate whippers- in who know they are not likely to make huntsmen, and they show their sense by sticking to their own line of business. I have known many establishments where huntsman and head whip were both growing greyheaded together. As I have before remarked, weight and height ought not to be of so much consideration. Character and talent are the first requisites. Unless a lad has naturally good abilities and a de- cided taste for that line of life, he will never, with all the instruction he may receive, turn out anything extraordinary. He must also have decision of character and command of tem- per, with sober and industrious habits. In my time, I have had several pupils in this line, but only two ever turned out to my 128 HORSES AND HOUNDS. satisfaction. There are many temptations thrown in their way, and therefore, unless they have decision of character to resist them, they will certainly fail. I once wrote to the famous John Ward for tne character of a whipper-in who had left his service ; his reply was in these words, and quite sufficient to satisfy me: — "Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter, I beg to say, that if Jolin B n had been worth keeping I should not have parted with him. "Yours tridy, J. Waed." Whippers-in should be cleanly also, but not conceited. My father once cured the conceit of his whipper-in, for a time, at least, in a very summary way. Jack was a spruce lad, but had rather too high an opinion of his good looks, and one fine morning, having a new and dandy pair of top-boots on, he could not keep his eyes oif them. The governor told him to mind his business and not his new boots, or he would have them blacked over, tops and all, the next day ; but it would not do. Jack had never been fitted so nicely before, and he could not help admiring them notwithstanding. The hounds were running in covert ; Jack, galloping along on the outside with his legs stretched out and head down, at a sudden turn came full tilt against the governor, who was riding in the contrary direction, and he would have unhorsed him, but my father, having caught a glimpse of Jack coming along, had prepared for the charge, and met him with such a facer from the double thong, that he knocked Jack clean out of the saddle, and spoilt his good looks, for that day at least. This cooled Jack's conceit for some time ; but, being a good-looking youth, the ladies of our establishment below stairs did their best to spoil him. Jack had also a rival, in the shape of a footman, who often tried to frighten him with stories about ghosts. Our house, being an old-fashioned structure, was of course haunted, as all such places are supposed to be. One dark winter's night, when Jack was doing up his horse after hunting, Mr. Thomas Eroposed to the fair ladies to try Jack's courage by exhibiting imself as a ghost at the stable-door. He accordingly shrouded himself in a long flowing robe, as those worn in the East, for which purpose the tablecloth sufficed, and rubbing his face over with phosphorus, sallied forth to frighten Jack into fits. Arrived at the stable-door, the ghost commenced a low moaning. Jack listened, but, as he told me afterwards, he could not make out at first where it came from. " The wind," thought Jack— another groan. "No, 'taint wind; 'tis one of the horses in the other stable." Jack went to see, thinking he had got the HORSES AND B.OVKDS. 129 fret. No, he was all right. "Well," thought Jack, "something outside it must be. I'll look out ; who's afraid '?" Jack wasn't ; but certain ideas about ghosts did obtrude themselves notwith- standing, and I have a notion Jack was far from being easy in his mind on that score. Jack peeped cautiously out, saw some- thing white, and quickly popped his head in again. " 'Tis one at last, sure enough !" thought Jack, and his hair began to feel rather uncomfortably stiff on his head — in short, his hackles began to rise as his courage began to fall. " Well !" thought Jack, " this wont do, at any rate. I must get out of the stable somehow, for it is near supper time, and I shall be laughed at by Mary. I'll have another peep." Another groan, rather louder than before. "Come," says Jack, "matters is getting rather serious ; something must be done." Jack didn't fancy opening the door by any means again, so he thought of the key- hole ; looking through cautiously, he could only see something white, but at that precise moment the ghost could not suppress a chuckle, to think how he was frightening poor Jack. "Well," thinks Jack, "I didn't know that ghosts laughed as well — I have it now, 'tis that fool Thomas. Well, Mr. Thomas, I'll see if I don't make you groan to some purpose presently ;" so Jack takes hold of the twitch, a short stick witJi a bit of cord at the end. " Now for my game." He accordingly opened the door very cautiously, as if afraid to look out, and the ghost, em- boldened by success, popped his head in with a "boo !" "Take that for your boo, then," said Jack, and down came the twitch with all his might upon the ghost's head ; a real groan followed, and down went IsLr. Thomas, tablecloth and all. It was a settler. Jack dashed a bucket of water over him to bring him to, and the discomfited Thomas made his appearance at the supper table in a pitiable plight, and with a broken head into the bargain. Thus ended all about the ghost stories, and Jack rose in the estimation of the fair for his courage. This affair, however, rather increased Jack's conceit, and my father threat* ened to make out his travelling ticket more than once or twice. At last it was done, and poor Jack left us all, in sorrow. In despair he enlisted in a marching regiment, which embarked for India, and we never heard of or saw him again. Alas ! poor Jack, how many a gay and gallant lad like thee, seduced by that phantom. Glory, has left his bones to moulder in a foreign land! 130 HORSES AND HOUNDS. CHAPTER XXI. The duties of a wliippev-in as to earths — Second whip ; youths too fond of using it — How an old sportsman usually broke them in — The Pastor and Farmer Coulter — Tom, my whipper-in — Patience required in a master of hounds — Heading foxes — Every man out not a sportsman — Temper must be restrained in a master ; swearing quite unnecessary— Myself, when young, and Farmer Steers — On the yeomen and farmers of England; injudicious and unjust abuse too frequently levelled at them. EvEEY man who lias read Beckford must remember the anec- dote of Will Crane, who swore at his whipper-in because he did not get forward when the head earths at Daventry were open. Many may think the huntsman to blame ; but as it is the espe- cial business of the whipper-in to carry out the orders about earth-stopping, he must have known what earths were open and what stopped, and when a fox is taking a line for a well-known head of earths it is his duty to put forward to the place. I have heard of various duties required of a first whip, but a famous Leicestershire squire, who once hunted the Melton country, set his man to draw a gorse covert on foot. The hounds were not working to his satisfaction, and he hallooed out to his whipper-in, " Come, Jack, get off, and scratch your legs a bit." For a second whipper-in it has been said that any lad will do who can smack a whip. The smacking a whip is the last accomplishment I should require in any young gentleman who aspired to the honour of distinguishing himself in the profes- sion of the noble science. No greater nuisance can happen to a pack of hounds than a lad who has acquired the knack of cracking a whip well. He is perpetually seeking opportunities of displaying his skill, and old Boxer would as soon almost have to deal with a rattlesnake. On foot he does not care much about the urchin, and gives him to understand by surly growls and bristles up that he had better keep his distance, but on horseback he is out of Boxer's reach, and is a perfect tyrant, flicking him in the legs when he wants to stop behind for cer- tain purposes, and trying to ride over him into the bargain. An old sportsman I knew well had a very good plan of break- ing in lads for whippers-in. Upon putting a whip into his pupil's hands for the first time, he generally gave him just a taste at starting, with " Well, Jack, does it hurt f — " Oh, yes, sir, it do uncommon." " So I thought, my lad ; now mind you don't use it too often with the liounds, for they can feel as well as you." Then, if he saw one riding his horse too hard up hill HORSES AND HOUNDS. 131 (and his happened to be a very hilly country), he would give Jack a bye-day on foot. I have seen Jack puffing and blowing like a grampus up the hills, and the squire urging him to greater exertions when he was ready to drop. " Oh ! sir, I cannot go no faster, I'm bio wed already." — '* Oh, you are, are you, Mr. Jack ? then I suppose you will recollect that your horse may be blowed as well as you another time." These practical lessons generally had the most decided effect ; the threat of repeating the dose proving sufficient to check any little ebullition of temper, either with '>vhip or spur. Nothing like practical illus- trations with some minds, whose comprehensions cannot or will not take it otherwise — as the worthy pastor, who could not make Farmer Coulter understand the nature of^ a miracle without a personal experiment. Farmer John had often pestered his worthy rector for ex- planations about miracles, but he never could quite get at the gist of the matter ; so, bothering him one morning again, on going to church, the doctor told Mr. John Coulter if he would wait in the porch after service he would give him_ a most con- vincing proof, as every other had failed. Accordingly, having disposed of his canonicals, the worthy rector quietly approached the porch, where John was waiting for the exjjlanation, Mr. Coulter was looking musingly into the churchyard, with his back to the door, when liis pastor quietly approaching, lent John such a kick in the rear as nearly to lift him off his legs. " Oh dear, sir, how you did hurt." — " Well, John, it would have been a miracle if I had not — are you satisfied now what a miracle is ?" — " Quite, sir," replied John ; " but next time don't ye kick quite so hard." I was obliged to employ a similar argument once with a second whipper-in I had, who was occasionally addicted to taking rather more of aqua vitae than was good for his health or understanding. My first whip being sent out on business, Tom was left in charge of the hounds, with strong injunctions not to leave the kennel until his return. It was during the summer months, and rather warm weather. Some gentlemen came to see the hounds, and Tom, having performed the part of master of ceremonies to their satisfaction, was by them invited to take a glass at the public house, that they might suck his brains a little about the hounds. Tom took a tolerable supply of suction, as much, or rather more, than he could carry home quite comfort- ably, and made for the kennels again. Here, having little to do, he thought he would employ his time in putting the old and young hounds together, to judge himself how they would look. Happening to pass by at the time, and hearing a great deal of k2 132 HORSES Am) HOUNDS. growling and noise among the hounds, I stepped in, and there was Mr. Tom in the midst, surveying them witli much apparent satisfaction. " Wliat the deuce are you about with tlie hounds, Tom ?" I said ; " and how dare you set them all by the ears in this manner 1 you are drunk !" " No, sir, I'm not ;" said Tom; " I only wanted to see how they would look together ;" and he began to grin idiotically. " Now, Tom," I said, " drunk you are ; tell me where you have been, and go home, for here you shall not stay another moment." " I aint drunk," repeated Tom, " and know what I am about very well." " Then," I said, "we'll soon prove that beyond dispute;" so I gave him a gentle push, and down Tom went to grass without delay. " Come, sir," said Tom, "I wont stand that." "No," I said, "that's clear enough, you can't stand it, and that was only a push that a boy of ten years old would have stood ; but," I said, " look out now for squalls, for I'll repeat the dose if you don't tell me at once where you have been making yourself drunk in this shameful manner in the middle of the day." Putting my fists up, Tom did not require any more forcible arguments of this sort, but said at once, "Well, sir, I wont deny it any longer, I am drunk ;" and he then told me the story about the gentlemen taking him to the inn, and plying him with brandy and water. "Well, Tom," I said, "there is some excuse for you, and I think the gentlemen, as you call them, much more culpable. Go home, and go to bed, and if you take a cooling draught which I will send you, nothing more shall be said this time at least." Tom, although only under-whip, was quite as old and big a man as myself; but I do not wish to justify my conduct in striking a servant at aU. I was out of order as well as Tom, and so I felt afterwards. Boys, however, must have a practical lesson or two to break them in, and some will not do without many such. A wiser head than mine has laid this down as a rule, and there are few who will not sometimes require it. Masters of hounds are often abused for their quickness and impatience in the field. Having been one myself, I may, from experience, say that they are often placed in situations which require almost the patience of Job. I allude to those particu- larly who hunt their own hounds. Those who look on at the game cannot feel as those do who are eagerly engaged in it. See a man on a good scenting day with a good fox before the hounds trying to break away, but headed in every direction by some coffee-housing fellows, smoking their cigars or talking politics, while he is working like a slave to show them the sport they do not deserve. The fox breaks, perhaps, for half a field ; some outrigger heads him back again, and very often a good fox. HORSES AXD HOUNDS. 133 is thus killed in covert whicli would have left the members of a cigar divan far enough in the rear had they given him a chance. I have known some men head a fox back because they were actually afraid of a run. It is quite true, although it sounds strange. It is absurd to suppose that every man who makes his appearance at the covert side is a sportsman. Some go for one reason, some for another ; but there is not one man out of twenty who either knows or cares anything about the hounds or the sport. Thus a gentleman huntsman with one aim in view, to afford satisfaction to all, not only finds little or no assist- ance from those who ought to accord it, but is often foiled in all his endeavours, and called a fool into the bargain. A young gentleman who had mounted his scarlet for the first season, was once finding fault with my performances, and turning to an old and experienced fox hunter, said, "I don't think that chap (meaning me) knows anything about his business." " How the deuce should he ?" replied my friend ; " he has been all his life nearly at it, and I never heard he was considered a fool, either at school or college ! !" This satisfied the young gentleman, who had been rather unsuccessful in his little go the last term, and had left Oxford in disgust because it was too sloiv a place for him. Some masters of excitable temper cannot help giving a bit of damson pie sometimes, but it is better left alone ; andif a man cannot hunt his hounds without swearing, I should advise him to let others do it who can keep their temper. I once, when young and ardent, administered a dose of this kind to a very worthy farmer, without at that time knowing who he was. We were running the only fox left in that part of the country, and he was trying to break where this man had posted himself with some others. I had hallooed to them before to leave the spot, but they either did not hear me or understand what I meant, and at last one of them turned the fox back, right into the hounds' mouths. I could hold it no longer, but out came a rattler at Farmer Steers for a fool. " What's that you are saying, young gentleman V cried the farmer ; " I didn't come out to be d— d." The rejoinder w^as on my lips, " Then go home and be d — d," as a certain squire once said to a sporting tradesman who was doing mischief in the New Forest ; but I checked myself and said no more. Not so, however, the farmer, who was well to do in the world, and lived on his own farm. He talked it over pretty freely after- wards, and was in a great rage, declaring he would notice me off his land, and kill every fox in the country. This he need not have added, as the one we had just eaten happened to be the " Last of the Mohicans"— just thereabouts. About a fortnight after this occurrence I went again into the 134 HORSES AND HOUNDS. same country to try every inch of covert, hearing another fox had been seen. Farmer Steers having cooled a little in the meantime, and being although a great man a good-hearted one as well, came out to the place of meeting, but looking very much offended. There was a large assemblage of bold yeomen, on good-looking horses, who civilly took off their hats as they came up to look at the hounds ; but Mr. Steers approached not, and was eyeing me with fixed attention from a little distance. His friends went up and shook hands with him, and I could see sometliing was said in reference to me ; but Farmer Steers shook his head. I guessed how matters stood, and acted upon the hint without hesitation. Going straight at once to where he was sitting with his friends, I held out my hand to him and said, "Come, Mr. Steers, it is not my wish or disposition to make enemies where I ought to make friends, and I will not hunt this or any other country without the goodwill of the farmers as well as the landlords. I was wrong in a moment of excitement to swear at you the last time we met, and I can only say I have been sorry for it ever since. Will you shake hands T " Will I % — yes, I will, young gentleman, and more than that, I was in the wrong as well, in spoiling your day's sport. I have thought of that since, or you would not have seen me out to- day." Joy lit up the faces of all around at this happy recon- ciliation. All was satisfaction, and I heard many exclaim, " That's right, I like him for it," for Mr. Steers was about head man in those parts, and possessed a small fox covert, which at that time I was not aware of. From that day the farmers proved themselves my stanch and unwavering friends. For many, many years they supported me "through thick and thin," and I can say with truth I shall always remember them with feelings of the deepest regard. There is no finer race of men on earth than the honest, true- hearted yeomen of England. In all fox-hunting countries they are the first to suffer, but the last to complain. Quicquid delirant reges 'plectuntur Achivi. Their wheat is trampled to pieces, young clovers often ruined, fences broken down, and their poultry carried off by foxes : this and more they put up with, without whining about it to their landlords. Are they not entitled to some consideration? Let every master of hounds bear in mind these things, and remember that the farmers are entitled to civility, at least, and more respect than is often paid them. I always treated them with cordiality wherever I met them, either in the field or the city, and they repaid me with interest. Many a good litter of foxes was carefully looked after by them, and young hounds sent home in blooming con- HORSES AND HOUNDS. . 135 dition, free of expense; a cordial welcome offered also to myself, horses, and hounds, whenever I approached their houses ; but of this I did not often avail myself, as time was pressing, and I made a point of never stopping anywhere until the business of the day was over. Many of them in those happy days had all their well-earned enjoyments around them — and why should they not ? Are tradesmen and shopkeepers alone to have their days and hours of recreation, and farmers, for- sooth, who work as hard, or harder than any, to be always plodding and working at the plough tail 1 Forbid it, common justice I I like to see the cultivator of the soil mounted on a good horse, and taking his day's amusement, which are not many in a season ; but what are the remarks which often un- justly assail them ? "Look at your tenant,_Mr. So-and-so; he is mounted on as good a horse as yourself; times must be good, or his rent too low." Who ever heard of a farmer, however, becoming a millionaire by farming, or saw one sitting in the House of Commons 1 But from every other trade there are representatives in that house. Builders, bakers, tinkers, and tailors, cotton spinners, brokers, railway jobbers — not Jews yet, nor Turks, but infidels and heretics enough, and why not farmers 1 " Oh, they are repre- sented by the landlords, are they T The next election will, I think, tell a different story. I hope to see some of niy friends, the farmers, representing their own body ; and I will engage they can give as good an opinion on most matters _ as many honourable members who are now guiding the destinies of this once great country. There are hundreds of clever men out of this great body of agriculturists whose diffidence alone has hitherto kept them in the background. They are not the stone-hearted brutes which their enemies would have the world believe them ; nor would they, taking them as a body, feed upon the vitals of the poor to make themselves rich. Can the pretending and canting philanthropists of the present day place their hands upon their hearts and say with truth, that the whole and sole object of their advocating certain mea- sures has been for the benefit onli/ of their poorer brethren, without the slightest reference to their own advancement ? Why, then, are the honest yeomen to be taunted only with motives which are foreign to their nature, and to be likened by one raised from below their own rank by some fortuitous cir- cumstances, to the clods of the valley? The farmers of Old England are not the enemies and oppressors^ of the poor, but their friends. Their motto ever has been, " Live, and let live ;" not perish, ye degraded and half-starved workers at the loom. 136 H^OESES AND HOUNDS, that your masters may ride in gilded coaches, or live in glitter- ing tinselled palaces. The farmer and his workmen have one common and united interest; together they rise for their morning work, together bear the heat and labour of the day, together rejoice or repine, as things go well or ill. No hard taskmasters are they ; nor spurn from their door the old man who has become grey-headed in their service. Together master and man are seen approaching the house of God on the Sabbath morn, and side by side they are often laid in the narrow house appointed for all living in the evening of that day when all the trials and troubles of tliis world are ended. Such was the case in olden times, and such are the feelings which still exist between the farmer and labourer. The present raceof farmers may not labour with their hands so much as did their fathers, but their heads have little respite. Their hearts are still in the right place — the mantle of integrity has descended unsullied from father to sons ; and their boast- yet is, and I trust ever will be, in the words of the old song, " that it still from a spot shall be free." CHAPTER XXIL Hour of feeding — Difference of food and treatment — Animal food necessary — Number of hounds to form the hunting pack in field — On drafting hounds — One fault not to be overlooked — In what the strength of a pack of fox-hounds consists — Pack of hoimds that hunted hare and fox — Horses and hoxmds of old school — Pack dividing, and each killing their own fox. Having now settled what the qualifications of huntsmen and whippers-in should be, I shall proceed to treat of the qualifica- tions of the hound — the hour of feeding, number of hounds requisite to form the hunting pack, and other details. The general hour for feeding in most establishments is about eleven o'clock — the prevailing opinion being that hounds should be sharp set (as the term is) before hunting. They have thus four- and-twenty hours before they commence work, and often to wait for nearly thirty until fed again ; for, supposing they kill only one fox in the day, what is that among twenty couples of hounds, the usual complement in the field? Hardly a taste for each. From long experience and observation I am satisfied that fox-hounds, if treated differently, would last much longer than they usually do under this half-starving system of the present HORSES AND HOUNDS. ' 137 day, and not so often be beaten by their afternoon fox. Tlie time of feeding should, in my opinion, depend upon the distance hounds have to travel before hunting, and the hour at which they generally commence drawing. There is also another considera- tion, whether they are carried to the place of meeting in a van, or have to travel on foot. The hour of meeting in the present day is generally about eleven o'clock during the regular hunting season, with most of our great fox-hunting establishments. In that case, when a van is kept, hounds may be fed about twelve o'clock the previous day, but when they have to travel on foot, I should feed them at two o'clock in preference to twelve. Dogs being carnivorous animals, and possessing strong powers of digestion, require animal food to sustain them in full strength and vigour to the period allotted to the life of the canine race. We have only to compare the duration of life in the spaniel, pointer, or any other species of dog which is accustomed to his liberty, and fed indis- criminately with flesh, bones, and offal from the butcher's shop or the kitchen, with the life of a fox-hound, and what is the result ! One is worn out and drafted generally before he attains the age of seven years, whilst the other is still almost in his prime. The age of a dog I compute from twelve to fourteen years. The difference between them I attribute to the difference of food and treatment. I shall be probably met, however, with the observation, that fox-hounds work much harder than any other species of dog, and, therefore, are sooner worn out. This I cannot quite admit ; but, were the case so, it would be an additional reason for different treatment. All huntsmen know that hounds which are kennel-sick, or lose condition without any ostensible reason, if let run about for a few weeks recover their usual strength. Look also at the brood bitches ; although suckling perhaps a full complement of whelps, they soon become full of flesh, and even very fat. Now, what is the reason of this alteration ? Simply this — the dog at liberty picks up bones, scraps, &c., and the bitches are generally fed twice a day, and get flesh occasionally. Animal food is as necessary to keep dogs in full health and strength as oats are to keep horses in condition. I shall be told that fox-hounds have plenty of animal food with their meat ; but in what state is this animal food presented to them ? When it is deprived of all the uices and nutriment it once contained, i. e. boiled to rags. I now that the broth or liquor, as it is termed, is nutritious, but the food of hounds is generally mixed up too thin. The day before hunting, at least, their food should be given as thick as they can eat it, and were it always so prepared during the l 138 HORSES AND HOUNDa. hunting season, I am satisfied most packs would give a better account of their afternoon fox. When I kept fox-hounds they were always treated in this manner, and, as I have before stated, had always a little thin lap for breakfast, being fed regularly twice a day through the year. The result of this treatment was, that my hounds lasted for many years longer than they usually do : and although we had long distances to go, and once or twice a week left off generally more than twenty miles from the kennels, I never saw them beaten. Moonlight rides were very frequent, but the hounds were up to the mark, and returned home cheerfully, with their sterns well up. They have been running as late as twelve o'clock at night, in large woodlands, where we could not stop them, the owls giving view-halloos all round us. Beckford truly remarks, " A half-starved hound will never kill an afternoon fox." We often see in BelVs Life extraordinary accounts of runs, twenty or thirty miles, but they want the finish. It is no use distending the stomachs of hounds with a quantity of liquid. They require the greatest amount of nutri- tious matter, combined in the smallest quantity. The number of hounds to form the hunting pack in the field should not exceed 20 couples ; 16 or 18 are quite suflicient, the efficiency of the pack not depending upon numbers, but the individual merits of each hound. Young hounds of the first season are seldom of much use, and often do a great deal of mischief ; they must not, therefore, be considered as rendering any service, or conducing to the strength of the pack, but be rather treated as lookers-on. Never take out too many young hounds together — four or five couples are enough at a time — until they are become quite steady. Some young hounds are slow to enter, and I have known them remain at the horse's heels for months, without showing any disposition to join the pack. Such are often drafted by the huntsman as useless, but 1 have found them turn out better in the end than those which have at once set to work. Precocious talents do not often stand the test of time so well as those of slower development. There is only one fault for which I should at once draft a young hound : his being noisy or too free with his tongue — this fault generally increases with his years, and is, in my opinion, the greatest a hound can possess. Having an aversion to sending my brood bitches long dis- tances to other kennels, it was my custom to take a few couples, or even the whole unentered lot of young hounds, from a kennel with which I wished to cross, with the prospect of one or two of these young hounds proving of service to me after- wards, and I had thus an opportunity of judging from my own HORSES AND HOUNDS. 139 observation of the qualities they possessed, instead of trusting to the representation of others. I derived great benefit from this course of proceeding, in many instances ; but I once had a lot of young hounds sent me from the Cheshire kennels, some years ago, so thoroughly noisy, that, although they, were fine, good-looking hounds, and in appearance what fox-hounds ought to be, yet I was obliged to draft the whole of them for this cause. The first day I took them out cub hunting, some began throwing their tongues as soon as they entered the covert, where there was no game of any kind ; these I put away at once, and the rest followed. I had, however, great luck on other occasions. From Lord Fitzwilliam's kennels, Seabright sent me one season four un- entered hounds, three of which turned out excellent, and I bred from them all, the produce being not only clever, but as good hounds in their work as any man ever possessed. Two of these hounds from Lord Fitzwilliam's became very great favourites, and never left my kennel. In many large establishments the breeding system is carried on to a very injurious extent, and there is little cause to wonder at young hounds proving faulty, when the characters of their parents have never been fully ascertained. Beckford justly remarks, " That too large a body of hounds is a very useless incumbrance" — it is not only a very useless and expensive incumbrance, but the hounds cannot be suffi- ciently worked to prove any excellences they may possess. It is said that great talents are called forth by great occasions. Many hounds are seldom tried sufficiently to prove their real characters, before they are bred from, if good-looking, and in the present day good looks are often taken in lieu of, or as an acknowledgment of, good deeds. I think I have before remarked that hounds should never be used before they have passed through two seasons at least, and their characters have become thoroughly established. ^ I have heard of nearly a hundred couples of whelps being bred in some large establishments in one season. Where such is the case, there must be a good deal of casualty work. The strength of a pack of fox-hounds consists in the number of three and four seasoned hunters, and to keep up this, you must enter a suffi- cient number of young hounds each year. The distemper varies very much according to the season ; it is, therefore, the wisest plan, when you have a good lot of young hounds safe over the distemper, to keep as many as you can. By putting them with a certain number of old hounds you can form two distinct packs, promoting the young, as they become steady, to your best 140 HOESES AND HOUNDS, lot. Young hounds whicli are very riotous the first season I have often found turn out tlie best afterwards. We must recol- lect that at their walks they have little attention paid them, and are at liberty to follow any game that comes in their way, but, by quiet and decided treatment, they will soon be broken from these bad habits. A very experienced and clever gentleman huntsman told me he never cared about his young hounds running hare ; he said he generally left them alone, and when they had their fun out, as he called it, without encouragement, they very soon found out their mistake, and became steady to fox of their own accord. This latitude is somewhat extensive ; I am not, however, pre- pared to assert but that there is a good deal of reason in it. Dogs are sensible animals, and soon discover what they are required to do. If young hounds would always break them- selves within a given time, we might allow them, as my friend said, to have their fun out, and I have no doubt they would become steadier afterw^ards, by finding out their own mistake : but this would only happen in the event of their not getting the hlood of the hare, for, if allowed to kill their own game and eat it too, I have an idea that on a blank day with fox they would have recourse to their old pastime, particularly as hare is more delicate eating. The steadiest fox-hounds, wdien puss comes in their way (out of sight of the whipper-in) in high cover, will have a sly snap at her, and, as the Irishman said, " small blame to them " wdien as hungry as hawks. Beckford relates an instance of extraordinary discernment in a fox-hound which joined his pack of harriers one day, and hunted and ran with them as if he had always been accustomed to that game, but when he saw this hound with his own pack he was perfectly steady from hare. In bygone days my father had a pack of fox-hounds with wdiich he hunted both hare and fox ; they commenced the sea- son with hare, as foxes were then scarce in the country, but after Christmas they began hunting fox, and were from that time to the end of the season steady to a fox scent, often passing through woods where hares abounded without taking any notice of them. These hounds were of Lord Egremont's blood, a famous sort in those days, and could run as well as hunt. It is tlie fashion to abuse both the horses and hounds of the old school ; the first are supposed to have been poor, slow, half- bred animals, and the hounds as never having been able to go much faster than turnspits. In answer to this, I can only state I have heard my father say, that in his younger days he never kept a horse which was not quite thorough bred and had been HORSES AND HOU^TDS. 141 trained as a race-horse ; but he had more than assertion to prove this, in tlie sliape of about twenty cups and plates which had been won by his own hunters. It is the custom with many huntsmen to take out a large body of hounds into woodlands at the beginning of the season ; there is no objection to this when foxes are plentiful and you do not wish to break away. They may be chopping and chang- ing nearly the whole day, sometimes the body of hounds holding to one fox, but more often split into several lots, each pursuing their own game, until hounds and foxes are nearly all beaten together. A good long woodland day, with blood at the end, is of great service to young hounds, as it shows you what they are made of, and hounds that are not afraid of scratching their faces in the covert will seldom disappoint your expectations when they run over the open. When, however, the regular sea- son commences, I would not exceed twenty couples even in the largest woodlands. They are more likely to hold together than a larger body of hounds, and when foxes run their foil, which they will often do, the ground is less tainted ; and even should they divide, eight or ten couples of good hounds are quite enough to kill the best fox that ever wore a brush. I have known on more occasions than one my pack divide, and each kill their ovni fox. I had also three hounds which once broke away after one fox, whilst the pack were running another, and without any assistance, or an individual with them, they ran their fox through several large woods, a distance of ten miles, and killed him by themselves. This would disprove the asser- tion made by some, that a pack of hounds, if left to themselves, would seldom account for their fox. Really good hounds would seldom miss one. In the days of my strength and prosperity I would have backed any five couples out of my pack, barring the first year's entry, to find and kill their fox by themselves, with- out any assistance, throughout the season, taking bad and good scenting days together. Hounds are too much hallooed and hustled in the present day to admit of their being intrin- sically good, nor are they allowed sufiicient time by many hunts- men to exliibit the good qualities they may possess. 142 HORSES AND HOUNDS. CHAPTER XXIIL Place of meeting — "Where it is best — The master should keep and follow his own counsel — Fox without a brush — Run with the same, and death — Hour of meeting to be strictly attended to — The proper place for first and second whip — Confidence of hounds in a huntsman; cruelty and roughness utterly misapplied — Different ways of drawing — Foxes, like dogs, sleepy in windy weather. Having now disposed of the business of the kennel, as well as having treated of the number of hounds necessary to form the hunting pack, we will follow them from the time of their leaving the kennel in the morning until tliey arrive at the covert side, or rather, I should say, the place of meeting ; for the covert side should never be fixed upon as a place of meeting, for many reasons. In the first place, if you meet at the covert side, the chances are much against your finding a good fox there ; he will be disturbed by people passing by or through the covert, and leave it before the hounds are thrown in, or, being upon his legs some time before the hounds commence drawing, they will be hunting a stale drag to get up to him, whilst he is taking ad- vantage_ of some hedgerow, to leave the covert and his pursuers far behind. It is difficult to keep foot people out of a wood where the hounds are to meet ; and poachers will take advan- tage of it, either to open the earths, or catch your neighbour's game. The place of meeting should be a mile or two from the covert you intend drawing, and so situated, if possible, as to avoid always the same line of woods, or knowing hands will wait at the covert-side until the hounds come, and not go to the place of meeting at all. I was often asked, when I had made my fixtures at certain places, the line I intended to draw, but my reply generally was, that I could give no positive infi)rmation, as so much depended upon circumstances over which I had no control ; as, for instance, our running into any of those coverts before the day fixed, the quarter the wind might be in, ifec, &c. Occasionally, to oblige gentlemen who came from a long dis- tance, I have departed from this rule, but, as a general practice, it is the best plan for a master of hounds to keep his own counsel, and not pledge himself beforehand to any particular line, which, when the time arrives, it may be most inconvenient for him to pursue. There are, however, exceptions to most general rules, and it is sometimes necessary to break through our pre-concerted plans to satisfy the complaints of farmers, or HORSES AND HOUNDS. 143 suit the convenience of some stanch patron of the noble science, by going out of our way to draw a particular covert which they may be anxious to see drawn. There are many tricks played upon masters of hounds, and sometimes the day s sport delayed or spoiled, by acceding too often to such appa- rently reasonable requests, but which may be dictated only by the most selfish motives. I have been made the tool, or rather the fool of, sometimes, to drive the game from one man's pre- serve into another's. Farmers also have taken me away to avoid having some particular field trodden by the horsemen, so that such deviations should be adopted with caution. He who tries to oblige all will find himself in the same predicament as the old man and his ass. There are, however, some few real sportsmen with most packs of fox-hounds, whose recommendation may be listened to, and who are not likely to mislead you by any selfish considerations. I received a letter once from a young and promising nobleman, now, alas ! no more, who was a very zealous supporter of our hunt, informing me that a fox without a brush had been com- mitting sad havoc in one of his tenant's farmyards, and had taken up his abode in a neighbouring spinney. Foxes were not over abundant in those days, and I knew we had no such animal belonging to our country. I therefore wrote in reply that I would with pleasure make the appointment. We met accordingly some distance from the covert, and as soon as the hounds were thrown in, the chicken-killer quickly broke covert, and sure enough the appendage so much coveted by the ardent followers of the chase was wanting. I saw at one glance, as he broke away, that he was a traveller — a large dark-coloured fox, high upon the leg, and the strides he took convinced me we should have some trouble to handle him. Making directly for a large wood, in which there were some strong earths, most probably the residence of the lady he had travelled so far to visit, he tried them first as a place of refuge, but finding them closed, with ' no admittance here," he went straight away into my neigh- bour's country. The first unusual feat he performed was, in- stead of taking to the water, to jump on to a coal barge which was moored in a canal, and jump off again on terra firma with- out wetting himself. This artful dodge satisfied me he was no common customer, but a wide-awake gentleman up to a trick or two. My whipper-in, who brought me this intelligence from the bargeman, thought him, I believe, somewhat of a necro- mancer, and his long face expressed his doubts of our success- fully grappling with so knowing a performer, and without a brush too. " Never mind," I said, " keep with the hounds^ and 144 HORSES AND HOUNDS. I think we shall see what he is made of before the day is over." Over the canal we steered away, and soon came to a nasty brook, with deep water and hollow banks. Four or five of us came to this about the same time. There was no leisure to look about for good places, the hounds being over and racing away a couple of fields before us, so at it we went ; and a proper scrambling and splashing ensued. ]\Iy horse's footing gave way just as he was taking the leap, and I had to perform in and out clever, which I fortunately accomplished, but only three of us showed on the other side ; there was no time to render assistance to those buffeting with the waters, as the hounds were now out of sight. On, on they went over a si)lendid vale country, with very stiff fencing, having it all to themselves, for catching them was out of the question. After, however, about forty minutes' hard running, we got up with the hounds in a large plantation, with a piece of water in the middle, where our artful friend had just tried another dodge to shake off his pursuers, by run- ning first all round the lake, and then swimming right across it. This feat seemed to confirm Jem's preconceived ideas of his being something out of the common run of foxes, and my im- pression is, if left to himself, he would rather have declined any further dealings with Bobtail. "Come, Jem," I exclaimed, " none of your old woman's fancies ; have at him again — Bell- maid has hit him off; forward, my lads, forward, away." The hounds joined like lightning together — one crash through the plantation, and over the open — cheerily, ho ! steadily, cheeringly, on we go ! Not an inch of the country did we now know ; the field were scattered to the winds, and Jem and I had it all to ourselves. Expecting a serious affair, we held steadily on with the hounds, agreeing to help each other out of difficulties, Jem keeping just a respectable distance behind me, with no dispo- sition to play first fiddle to this queer-looking dancer ; and I felt quite sure he would not desert me if I got into trouble. Another twenty minutes or so (for we had no time to look at our watches) and we came to a few small coverts, where, our fox taking a turn or two, we had just time to breathe our horses, and one or two hard riders came up as well. One, a stanch friend to hounds, and a general favourite with all the neigh- bouring packs, now became of great service to me from his knowledge of the country we had run into. " Well, squire," he exclaimed, " this bob-tailed son of a gun has led us a proper dance, and I thought I should never get up with you again. Where have you been?' "That is more than I cau tell you," I replied ; " but had he gone straight on, instead of bearing away to the right into these woods, the chances would have been lilp I ^i If m\ HORSES AND HOUNDS. 145 against your asking me this question just yet." The hounds were now away again. "Oh ! he is a thrusting scoundrel," ex- claimed my friend Bob ; " he's got some go in him yet, and I have an idea it will be a moonlight affair." " Nonsense," I said, " he can't stand another forty minutes, after the pace we have been going. Now, Bob, lend a hand, for Jem's half afraid of him, and Tom is lost ; we will try to handle him before two o'clock, unless I am out of my reckoning altogether." We had now a fine fox-hunting country before us, with large enclosures, but sadly in want of drainage ; the scent became merely a holding one, which we were not sorry for. The fox, in Bob's opinion, was now making his point for a large covert, in which he thought w^e should change. Fortunately there were no earths there : I therefore despatched Jem to get forward to the other side of this wood as fast as he could, and my friend Bob kindly undertook his place. " Now," I said, " we shall be all right if he will only wait a bit, when he reaches Rushmead." For- tunately for us he did so ; the hounds soon got upon good terms with him again in the covert, and made the wood crash as they rattled him round and round. Bobtail was, hoAvever, game to the last, and he tried to break away twice where Bob and I had stationed ourselves, in the direction of a long string of wood- lands, which it was my determination, if possible, to prevent him reaching, as we were sure to change there, and the coverts extended nearly three miles in continuation. Knowing his in- tention, I posted Bob out of sight under the hedge, with direc- tions to let him get clear of the wood one entire field, and then to halloo and ride like mad. I then joined the hounds in covert, and Babtail, finding the course clear, broke away; we were not far behind him- and Bob played his part to perfection. Before the fox had crossed the first field. Bob was after him from his hiding-place, hallooing like fun. The artful dodger stopped and hesitated one moment whether to return or go on : that moment of hesitation sealed his fate. The hounds were coming tearing out of covert, and, hearing Bob's hullaballoo, caught sight of the poor chicken-killer, and had him down before he could again reach the wood hedge. I did not tell Bob this was just the trap I had laid for him, as we were a very long distance from home, and my horse had had quite enough of it. All stratagems are fair in war, and Beckford says, "A fair fox-hunter and a fool are syno- nymous terms." Having made acquaintance with the large wood- lands in perspective, upon a former occasion, when I was treated to a concert by owls, I had no great fancy just then to a second treat from their harmonious voices, and was obliged to use a little stratagem to dispose of Mr. Bobtail before he had quite L 14(5 HOUSES AXD HOUNDS. run his course out. Jem could scarcely believe it, he said, when he heard my shrill whoo-hoop from the other side of the covert, but the hounds' baying soon satisfied him that his foe had licked the dust, and he came crashing down through the wood in ecstasies of delight. ^ Few were up to witness the finale of this gallant fox, the majority of our field being scattered in all directions. Having then nearly thirty miles to return home, I thanked my friend Bob for his services, and we commenced our homevrard journey. This fox could not have run over much less ground than twenty miles, and, by the time we reached the kennels, horses and hounds had quite enough for one day. When a fixture is once made, no deviation from it should be afterwards admitted. In these days, real sportsmen often go very long distances to meet a good pack of hounds, and make their arrangements accordingly. It is, therefore, very unfair to disappoint them. Whatever the hour of meeting may be, it should be observed with punctuality, and although occasionally you may give a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes to those expected from long distances, it should be borne in mind that your punctual friends are cooling their heels, and their horses shivering perhaps in the cold all this time. I have seen hounds waiting for more than an hour beyond time, in expectation of some great man coming down by rail, who never arrived after all; and you may suppose a great deal of dissatisfaction was ex- pressed, both by looks and words. The expectations and con- venience of the majority of your field should not be sacrificed to accommodate ever so great a man, and I never would wait more than half-an-hour for any individual, her most Gracious Majesty alone being excepted. Upon one occasion I gave mortal offence to a great duke, or rather, I should say, to his flatterers, by not waiting beyond a certain time, when he was expected to honour my fixture with his presence. I certainly gave him a very reasonable allowance of time, and at last, his servant expressing a doubt of his coming at all, I commenced drawing, but in the direction he was ex- pected. There were one or two despicable sycophants out, how- ever, who represented my conduct as an intentional disrespect to him, and the seeds of animosity were thus sown by these artful knaves to suit their own purposes, which afterwards pro- duced a pretty good harvest of discord throughout the country. In going to the place of meeting, tlie first whipper-in should be some distance before the hounds ; the second a long way be- hind them. Some huntsmen like to have the hounds cooped up, as it v/ere, all around them. It looks better to see hounds in a compact body, but it is, in my opinion, very objectionable to HORSES AND HOUNDS. 147 keep tliem under such unnecessary discipline. They will, when let loose from the huntsman's presence, then begin to find them- selves at liberty, and, like boys just out of school, run riot. Con- fidence in the huntsman begets confidence in the hounds. This I have seen exemplified in many instances. Hounds which are continually kept in, and harassed by whippers-in, are seldom steady when left to themselves, and out of the reach of the whip. I cannot too often impress upon huntsmen and their assist- ants, that undue severity is not only shameful to those who practise it, but always fails to ensure that willing obedience upon which the steadiness and efficiency of a pack of fox-hounds entirely depend. I was looking over a lot of hounds a short time since, got together by a friend of mine, and there were no less than three unentered hounds from one kennel, which had each lost an eye. These hounds had been put forward to enter, and been broken in before they came into my friend's posses- sion. He and I both attributed the loss of their eyes, being all gone on the same side, to the whip of some brute of a whipper- in, who deserved to be nearly flayed himself. The manner in which dogs and horses are treated by some miscreants, is a dis- grace to liuman nature. The chief blame, however, rests with masters, who will employ savages of this description. If one gentleman is responsible to another for the conduct of his servant, when insolent or guilty of reckless conduct, surely he will be held responsible for that servant's cruelty to the dumb animals entrusted to his care. One can generally form a toler- ably accurate opinion of the master from the man. The servant of a real gentleman — that is, one by principles and feelings a gentleman, not by money and adventitious circumstances — will, to a certain extent, reflect his master's character, well knowing that his situation depends upon his proper deportment. Show me the servants, and I can pretty well tell you the character of the master. Time being called, and the coffee-housing business over, we will now proceed to the business of the day. If possible, the huntsman will of course draw up wind, save and except where he has some very smaU spinneys or gorse coverts to draw, from which a fox cannot get away without being seen — here he had better give his fox every opportunity of finding the hounds before they find him, or the chances are, that he wiU be chopped before well upon his legs. In windy weather foxes as well as dogs are most sleepy, and on such days they may easily be caught napping. I was once drawing a very thin plantation on the downs, in fact, just letting the hounds run through it, on our line to other coverts, when l2 148 HORSES AND HOUNDS. looking forward, I saw a fox curled up fast asleep under a low stunted fir tree, and the hounds nearly all round him. Although going down the wind, he had not heard our a])proach, and for- tunately the hounds had not winded him in his kennel. Callmg them immediately to one side, as if to leave the place, I turned short round, and gave the fox a cut with my whip before he jumped up. The hounds, however, soon caught sight of him, and a proper race we had for about fifteen minutes before he was pulled down, on the open downs, without a fence. There were some severe falls in this short space of time, for it requires as good a hand and as good nerves to ride well over open dowub, as it does to cross a vale country. Some of our hard riding vale gentlemen got to themselves astonishing falls, without knowing why or wherefore. The fact was, they had pumped the wind out of their horses at starting, and then meeting with a few old cart tracks across the down, barely visible before they could fmll up, the consequences might be easily anticipated, particu- arly with horses not accustomed to such crossings. CHAPTER XXTV. Draw where you are most likely to find a fox — Morning best time for scent — Fair X'^'^y to a fox, contrary to Beckford's opinion — No hallooing and whooping on first finding — Most likely places to find foxes early in the season — Hounds spreading wide — Upon drawing coverts and the places and business of whippers-in— Famous hound from Sir T. Mostyn's kennel — Mr. T. Pahner and " Drops of Brandy" — Dinner at his house — Deputy — Old favourites never neglected — Anecdotes of " Old Pilgrim." The first business in fox-hunting is, as an old and stanch friend to this sport once expressed to me, to draw at once those places where you are most likely to find a fox. The day often turns off unexpectedly, and, generally speaking, the morning is the best time for scent. The hounds are also fresh, and a good hard running fox is much more easily disposed of satisfactorily before two o'clock than after that hour. I have no objection to give every fox a fair chance for his life at starting; no mobbing and hustling as soon as he is upon his legs ; but let him be fairly found, and go fairly away, and then, my masters, cratch him if you can. Bcckford, perhaps, might call me a fool for giving any fair play at all ; but it is the only way to ensure good sport, and make good hounds. If, when a fox is first found, HOESES AND HOUNDS. 149 the himtsman begins hallooing and screaming, the whippers-in following suit, and half the field joining in the hue and cry, your fox will be headed back ; the hounds becoming wild with excitement, will dash over the scent, and, "Act 1st," a failure. A good fox will make his point, after all, so you may as well, and better, let him have it at once. In the early part of the season, when the hazel coverts are disturbed by nutters and shooters, the most likely places to find foxes are in the short underwood of two years' growth and gorse coverts. In fine weather they will often lie in turnip fields and hedge-rows. When hunting begins, crafty old foxes generally resort to such out-of-the-w^ay places, and that is the reason they are so seldom found, the young foxes always falling the first victims. In drawing large coverts, the huntsman should try first the most likely part of them, which will depend in a great measure on the day. In stormy and windy weather foxes will resort to the most sheltered situations; but there are always favourite spots in all coverts where they are most likely to be found, and these are of course known to every huntsman who is acquainted with his country. When thrown into covert, I like to see hounds spread wide, and draw eagerly ; not one should be at the horse's heels. Some men have a trick, and a very bad one it is, of keeping a few couples of idle hounds dangling after them, ready for a start, or to throw in when the fox crosses the rides. Such a practice is very injurious to the hounds so employed, and will make them careless and of little value, when hard work is before them. Some huntsmen also allow the first whipper-in. to hunt the hounds in covert, or rather to help draw with them, for what rea- son I could never yet discover, except to save themselves trouble. Such is not the business of a whipper-in, and more tlian that, he has no right to speak even to a hound in covert, unless to stop or rate him. When the hounds_ are drawing large woodlands, the place of the first whipper-in is forward in some drive, ride, or crossing, in the direction the hounds are trying — he will be as silent as a mouse, and watch not only with his eyes w^ell open, but ears also, to see and hear all that is moving. Wlien the hounds cross over, he will again shift his ground quickly but silently, and take up an- other position, where he may observe all that is going on. Should he view the fox cross over, he will of course halloo, and when the hounds are once settled to the scent, his duty is to be away again elsewhere. When drawing small coverts, spinneys, or gorse, the place of the first whipper-in is outside, in that spot from which, without being seen himself, he may 150 HORSES AND HOUNDS. command the west and most extensive view, not far from the point where foxes generally break, but not too near it. When the business of the day once commences, the whipper- in is to recollect that, like a sentry, he is then on duty, and he should, if any begin talking with him at his post, respectfully but firmly decline further conversation until off duty again, when the fox is gone away. The place of the second whipper-in, when the hounds are drawing, is not too far from the huntsman, and at the tail of the hounds ; not to ride in upon them, but to be ready, in case any loiter or run riot, to stop them at once, and put them forward to the body of the pack. Hounds should not be hurried when drawing, but have plenty of time, and room as well, or you will draw over many foxes in the course of a season ; and the under whip must be given to understand that he is to keep at a respectful distance, and never interfere unless his interference is positively required. When the fox is found, the second whipper-in will keep as near the hounds as he can, and be prepared to attend to any directions he may receive from the huntsman, and when the fox breaks away, he must bring on the tail hounds if any remain in covert. The duties of a second whipper-in are by no means very agreeable, but he must be content to perform them, and the better they are done, the more pleasure he will derive himself, and render himself more eligible for advancement in his own or any other establishment. By being quick and active in getting the hounds out of covert, he will soon overtake the huntsman, and see as much of the fun as any one else ; should, however, his business be done slovenly, and any hounds be left behind, he will have to return and bring them on. This being enforced by the huntsman, Jack will take more pains for the future. When the hounds go away with their fox, the first whipper-in will be with them, ready to assist the huntsman, or attend to any directions he may give. Should the hounds come to a check before the huntsman gets up, he will let them make their own cast, but he is not to interfere with them further, unless the huntsman is quite out of sight. Many first whips think it high fun to get away with the hounds at first starting, and hurry them on, to show their own cleverness in having a burst without the huntsman. On this account there is often great jealousy between the two. It is impossible, in some cases, for the hunts- man to be with the hounds when they first break covert, and the whipper-in has therefore an advantage over him in this respect, of which some are not slow to avail themselves, to the prejudice of the huntsman. For instance, when hounds are HORSES AND HOUNDS. 151 running in a large covert, it is the duty of the huntsman to be near them ; but when the fox breaks, it is impossible for him sometimes to be close to the hounds, having, perhaps, to crash through several acres of underwood, or to take the nearest ride leading to the point where the fox has gone away. The first consideration with a pack of fox-hounds is to draw well and steadily, but there are days and occasions when the best hounds may show slackness ; in wet and bad scenting days, and where game is scarce, they v/ill become more indifferent. It is then the huntsman's place to ride with them, and encourage them in trying the thickest parts of the covert. Hounds also out of blood soon become out of heart as well. A famous master of hounds, who hunted a part of Wiltshire for many years, used to say he could always tell, by drawing his hounds round a gorse covert, if there was a fox in it, and when the hounds showed little disposition to dash in, he concluded there was no fox there. In the early part of a good scenting day, I think in nine cases out of ten, hounds will generally show whether a fox is at home or not, but I should not depend upon their opinions after two o'clock, or in bad weather. I had once a famous hound for drawing, who had a peculiar instinct in pointing out where foxes lay. I never saw it so developed in any other, except his two daughters, which were as good as their father. He was a rapid dashing drawer, seldom putting his nose to the ground, but you would see him examining the twigs or reeds as he passed, and going straight to the fox's kennel. It seldom required more than ten minutes for his survey of a covert of a hundred acres, and when satisfied there was no fox at home, he quickly re-appeared outside the covert. During several years he never deceived me, and was considered by the whipper-in as infallible. He would also tell if a fox had been in the covert, or had passed through it, by throwing his tongue once or twice in a short concise way, and then coming away. This hound (one of the first fox-hounds I ever possessed) I obtained from the kennel of Sir T. Mostyn, who hunted the Oxfordshire country (now belonging to Mr. Drake) for many years — his sire, the Duke of Beaufort's Rallywood, and his dam, Mr. Ward's sort. I had him, with eight couples of other hounds, in the autumn of the year 1822, when pursuing my studies at Alma ]\Iater. At the end of the term, instead of travelling by road, I com- menced my homeward journey across country with these hounds, mounted on a fine old hunter, which I picked up at Oxford. I had intended reaching Marlborough the first night, but the days then being short, I was fain to ask a night's lodging at the 152 HORSES AND HOUNDS. farm-house of a genuine old English farmer, where I had once before passed a night, when on a shooting excursion. In a cold, disagreeable November evening the hospitable roof of my friend. Mr. Thomas Palmer, of East Garston, near Lambourne, presented itself to my view, and, although I had only met him twice before, I felt assured of a welcome reception. Being but a lad when I first became acquainted with him, I rather doubted whether he would recollect me at all ; but there was no alterna- tive, I must either obtain shelter there, or pass the night in some barn on the downs, for the shades of evening were gathering fast around me. I accordingly put a bold face on the matter, and, approaching the house, asked if the master were at home. He soon made his appearance, but did not immediately recollect me. At this I was not surprised, as a few years had altered my appearance. "Well," I said, " Mr. Palmer, if you do not recollect me, do you remember the old tune of ' Drops of Brandy ? " " Come along, sir ; I remember all about it now. Here, Jack, Thomas, come and take this gentleman's horse." The last place of our meeting had been at a ball, given by his landlord to all the tenantry, and after being quite tired with quadrille and waltz tunes, he had begged me to get up a country dance, to his favourite tune of " Drops of Brandy." This, after some little persuasion with the ladies, and an explanatory whistle to the musicians, who pretended they had never heard of such a tune, I at last eifected, to the great delight of my old friend, who?.e heart and soul seemed in the dance, although too far advanced in years to join in bodily exertion. I fancy I can see him now, with his jovial, good-humoured face, snapping his fingers, and cheering us on when flagging. To please him I kept it going as long as I could hold six or seven couples together, in which 1 was kindly assisted by one of the young ladies of the family ; but we were at last fairly beaten, and from that hour I have never forgotten " Drops of Brandy." Having seen my horse snugly provided for in a good warm stable, with plenty of assistants to rub him down, I accom- panied my worthy host to the house, where a good dinner, under the able superintendence of Miss P., as she was always called, was soon provided for us, and we sat down to enjoy ourselves, and talk of the days of " Auld Lang Syne." Drops of brandy were not forgotten, with which, after my long and cold ride, I was not sorry to renew my acquaintance, when, after dinner, we drew round to the fire, and settled comfortably down in our easy chairs for the evening. We retired to rest at a late hour, and, what with discussing a bottle or two of Miss P.'s good orange wine, and tlie few drops of brandy afterwards, my HORSES AND HOUNDS. 153 slumbers were prolonged to a rather late hour on tlie following morning, much to the delight of my good-natured host. Soon after breakfast I was obliged to take leave of the worthy- Mr. Thomas Palmer, whose name, I have no doubt, is still remembered in those parts with esteem and regret, as one of the good old school of English yeomen now fast passing away. Taking my route over the Downs, with the hounds all m couples, except this one dog named Deputy, and a favourite old greyhound, a hare suddenly jumped up in view, and off went Deputy, Avith the greyhound after her. I checked back the other hounds, and rode on to the top of the hill to see how this affair would end, little expecting my old friend Nimrod could manage a Down hare, wliich are generally both stout and fleet. A severe course ensued up and down the hills, the fox- hound coming in for his turn occasionally ; and at last, to my great delight, they managed to overhaul poor puss. No sooner had this feat been performed, and the hare safely deposited in my valise, strapped to the pommel of the saddle, than a party of coursers made their appearance, in search of the very hare which I had just snugly stowed away. She had been found sitting by a shepherd, who had gone off to give intelligence to the coursers, whose sport I had thus unfortunately marred. It so happened, that one of the party was a friend, to whose house I was then wending my way ; and, after dinner, when relating the circumstance, and regretting the run they had lost, I told him the hare was quite at his service, and I would send her to him the next morning. He thought I was joking, at first, and would scarcely believe that, with a single greyhound, assisted only by a fox-hound, I could have mastered one of their famous Down hares. Deputy's schooling was not improved by this outbreak, and I had some trouble afterwards in breaking him from hare, but in the second season he became quite steady to his own game, and was my right hand for several seasons after- wards. Witli the scratch pack T had then got together, he was my chief authority for a fox, and the moment his tongue was heard, the other hounds would instantly fly to him. To those who have never had the pleasure of forming a pack from the hete- rogeneous elements, in the shape of hounds drafted from other kennels, the comfort of having one really good and active dog to depend upon, can scarcely be appreciated ; but this hound was truly my Deputy in every sense of the word, and I could not have deputed my authority to an abler assistant. This hound, so long a favourite, never quitted my kennels ; and I must here plead guilty to an impeachment which has often been laid to my charge, of being over soft (as my friends 154 HORSES AND HOUNDS. used to term it) towards animals in my possession. I never parted witli an old favourite, whether horse or hound ; many of the latter, when worn out by hard service, were continually about the premises. They had a warm house to go into at night, next the boiling house, and i^lenty to eat, and I have no doubt they enjoyed their ^^ otium cum dignitate" as much as any old pensioners in Greenwich Hospital. With good living and no work, they certainly did become most extraordinary looking figures, very much resembling aldermen in appearance, and their very looks gave a flat contradiction to the recommendation of my friends, to put those " wretched old animals out of their misery.''' Having spent the best of their days in my service, and done their utmost to aff'ord me pleasure, I always considered it at least my duty to aftord them that protection and refuge in their old age w^hich they so well deserved ; and, notwithstanding the taunts often received from other friendly masters of hounds, nothing ever induced me to alter that fixed principle — at my hand, or by my orders, their lives were never required. Upon hunting days, during the season, these old hounds were always shut up, to prevent their following the pack ; but in the cub- hunting they could always do as they liked, and they generally honoured us with their company upon those occasions. An old hound I had, called Pilgrim, showed most extra- ordinary sagacity one day, which may be considered rather too romantic to be true, but I vouch for the fact. He was out with us in the early part of the season, w^lien we brought a fox to our home coverts, and ran him to ground there in a large rabbit pipe. As we tried on for another fox, the earth was stopped up, but not finding again, I returned home and fed the hounds. Old Pilgrim was with us then, and the terriers, which, after feeding, were, as usual, let run about. This was about two o'clock in the day. At four o'clock I went down to see the hounds again, and, not finding either the terriers or old Pilgrim in their usual sleeping apartment, I made inquiries where they were. No one could tell ; but the feeder had seen them, about an hour previously, in the yard together. We searched and looked everywhere for them, but in vain. It being a fine after- noon, and having nothing to do, I walked across to the covert where we had run the fox to ground in the morning, to see if he had scratched his way out again, as some loose stones only had been thrown into the earth. Great, indeed, was my sur- prise, when I discovered old Pilgrim lying at the mouth of the pipe, having removed all the stones, and dug a hole nearly large enough to hold himself : greater still was my surprise, when upon listening at the earth I heard the two terriers inside at the fox ! The old dog wagged his tail, and gave me a knowing HORSES A>'D HOITSDS. lOD look, as much as to say, " that will do, we shall soon have him out," and I was so much pleased with his cunning that I resolved he should not be disapyjointed. I accordingly hallooed to a man I saw at work, and sent him home for the whipper-in and a spade. We soon dug the fox out, and carried him home in a sack, Nothing could exceed the delight of the old hound when he saw the fox safely bagged — ^he danced and jumped about, and led the way in high glee, as much as to say, " here he comes I this is my doing." Having dep>osited the fox in a safe place, the old hound appeared quite satisfied ; but when it became dark we turned him loose again. There is nothing extraordinary in the hound going again to visit the jilace where he had seen the fox run to ground, but the mystery is how he prevailed upon the terriers, which had not been out that day, to go with him. Instinct, in dogs, is very nearly allied to reason, and tliis dog must have considered that he could not get the fox out without the assistance of the timers • and, but for my appearance on the scene, I have no doubt tney would have succeeded in their object, as the pipe was not deep, and the soil sandy. Upon another occasion we had been running a fox for some time, with an indifferent scent, and at last, getting up to him in a small spinney, he made directly for a park wall, over which he went, and all the hounds ; but to old Pilgrim this was a stopper. Without hesitation, however, he made round to a cradle stile, a long distance off, and got up in time to have a taste of the fox, which we ran into in the middle of the park. CHAPTER XXV. Laws of fox-huntiiig — The whole question a lex non scripia, but a matter of custom — How countries are formed and held — Coverts — Ei^ht of master to dispose of them — Eight- to draw a neighbouring covert — 31anner ia which coverts mav become lapsed — Twenty, if not seven veai^' undis- puted possession, a legal title to a country — !Mj. Assheton Smith and the Craven country — Sir John Cope, in Collingboume wcxkIs — The right of earth-stoppiug — On running into a neig-hbour's country — Necessity of goodfeehn^iu neighbouring himts, propriety of forming a club, analogotia to the Jockey Club, for the decision of disputes as to title of cotmtry — Lord Hawke's attempt — Advantages of the existiaglaws of los-hunting — Tricks of keepers in destroying foses by vermin traps. It may not now be out of place to make a few observations on the laws of fox-hunting. Where, then, is the law or the rules which govern fox-hunting to be found ] Xo where. It is a ?^ 156 HORSES AND HOUNDS. non scripta. We have rules for Cricket Clubs, rules for the Prize Ring, rules for the Jockey Club, and rules laid down for every other national game or amusement ; but no written rules for that most popular and national amusement — Fox-hunting. Upon what basis, then, do the laws of fox-hunting rest, and by whom are they recognised? They stand upon a. foundation which is admitted even by the common law of England to be good and valid — custom ; and that custom is considered suffi- ciently binding and obligatory upon every master of fox- hounds, who not merely calls himselj] but is virtuaUy a gentle- man. The tenure upon which hunting countries are held, I may set down as threefold. That occupied by individuals as sole masters; secondly, by clubs or committees; and thirdly, that held upon sufferance. I may here be met by some large game preservers, who will say, " I repudiate your fox-hunting laws altogether, and will have none of them. Vermin-killers, indeed, to dictate to me, and parcel out my woods and lands as they please ! the old feudal laws again." Not a bit of it, my friends of the trigger ; wait a little, and you shall have a full hearing, and ample justice done to your cause also. But to my subject now. Countries held by individuals as sole masters have generally been formed by themselves, at their own expense, and so con- ducted with the approbation and consent of the owners of coverts, and handed down often as almost entailed property from father to son ; in other cases they have been made over to a successor, appointed by the late master, who has a right to do so, or to dispose of any portion of his country to a neighbouring pack, either in perpetuity, or on sufferance, to draw certain coverts for a limited time. The rights of clubs or committees, with subscription packs, are of a similar nature, except that, in some countries, these rights are delegated to the master of the hounds for the time being. In others, the master of the hounds is entirely restricted to the hunting department ; the manage- ment of the country being retained in the hands of the club. The first and great rule of fox-hunting law, as recognised by all masters of fox-hounds from time immemorial, and acted upon by gentlemen, invariably, up to the present time, is this — " That no master of hounds has a right to draw any coverts belonging to another hunt or country, witliout his neighbour's permission." We admit that landed proprietors have a right (if they think proper) to kill foxes, and prevent their coverts being hunted at all by any fox -hounds, by the law of the land, or game laws; but, by the law of fox-hunting, they cannot take their coverts away from one hunt and give them to another, HORSES AND HOUNDS. 157 except under peculiar circumstances, as the following : — Coverts and countries may become lapsed by non-usage or abandon- ment, the death of the master, or his ceasing to keep hounds, without the appointment of a successor. In these cases, the coverts, by fox-hunting law, are placed at the disposal of their proprietors, and they can dispose of them as they think proper. Coverts may become lapsed by any master discontinuing to draw them for seven years, or by his allowing another pack to hunt them, without remonstrance or interference, for that period. In these cases the master of an adjoining pack, with the consent of the proprietors, may take possession of these coverts, and they will become an integral part of his country. It has been held that twenty years' possession of a country, without inter- ruption, or interference, or stipulations of any kind, constitutes a legal title to that country. There can be no question of this ; but I maintain that seven years' possession, under the same circumstances, is a sufficient bar to their being reclaimed. How, otherwise, would nearly all the hunting establishments of the present day stand? What alterations and divisions of countries have taken place since the days of those Nimrods of old — Noel, Corbet, and jMeynell 1 Where one hunting establish- ment was formerly kept there are now four or five, I might say more than these. It was but fair and reasonable, that, when one master of fox-hounds possessed more country than he could by possibility effectually hunt, a part of it should be given over to a neighbouring hunt, and this course has been pursued gene- rally with mutual goodwill and mutual benefit ; but it is presumed that masters of fox-hounds, being always considered gentlemen and men of honour, are incapable of acting either unfairly or aggressively towards their neighbours, and upon these principles only can the laws of fox-hunting ever stand. However extended a country may be, so long as the master continues to draw the coverts contained in it, if only once in the season, he cannot be lawfully dispossessed of any portion of that country without his consent ; nor can another master of hounds, even at the solicitation of the owners of coverts, take possession of any part of it. I have heard Mr. Assheton Smith quoted as an example of one who has set the laws of fox-hunting at defiance, and has acted contrary to their rules, in annexing part of the Craven country to his own. From my recollection of the circumstances of the case, which took place some years ago, I do not think such an accusation is founded on facts. My impression is, that the successor of Mr. Ward in the Craven country gave certain large coverts, far distant from the Craven kennels, but near to 158 nORSES AND HOUNDS. Mr. Smith's house, to the latter gentleman. Much angry dis- cussion took place in consequence of this act. On one side it was contended that Mr. Horlock had a right so to dispose of those coverts, as being not necessary to the Craven hounds, and seldom drawn by them ; on the other, that the Craven Club had the sole right to dispose of the said coverts. The independent representative of a subscription country has undoubtedly the same powers as the sole master, and I should say his acts would be binding upon his successors. Mr. Ward's successor main- tained that he had a right to dispose of these coverts to Mr. Assheton Smith; and his view of the case was confirmed by the proprietors of them. It must be admitted that, unless masters of hounds possessed certain discretionaiy powers of giving or lending to other masters coverts which are not indis- pensably necessary to the efficient maintenance of their own hunt, half the hunting countries, as now established, would be torn to pieces. There is no unfair aggression by one master upon another in such a case as this, and no breach of fox- hunting law. Fox-]iunters ought to assist each other as much as possible, and contribute to the general amusement of the country. No real injury has been done to the Craven country by Mr. Assheton Smith's establishment, but, on the contrary, much good. The large woodlands, which in Mr. Ward's time were visited only occasionally by his hounds, are now regularly hunted nearly once a week. Foxes fly, and afford good chases ; such was not the case formerly. I can remember when JVIr. Ward invited Sir John Cope to come down, at the end of the season, and hunt some of these outlying woodlands; and proper badgering work it was to get a fox away, even for a few fields. In the month of April we were one whole day in CoUingbourne Woods, with Sir John's rattlers, and did succeed at last in killing a fox, but it was nearly dark before this feat was accom- plished, and then not without some little stratagem. There are also coverts held on sufferance, which can be reclaimed by the original hunt ; also neutral coverts, which are drawn and stopped by two packs, by mutual consent. There is also the privilege attached to some hunts, of having the earths put to in the morning in some particular coverts belonging to the neighbouring country ; but, as a general rule, no master of hounds has a right to interfere with his neighbour's earths. It has been assumed that, when a fox is running into another country, and making his point for a well-known head of earths, the whipper-in may get forward, and stop those earths ; but 1 cannot admit the justice of any such pretended law. A fox found in one country, and running into another, generally HORSES AND HOUNDS. 159 speaking, is running home, and belongs to tlie country lie is running into ; you may catcli liim, if you can, before he reaches your neighbour's earths ; but if he reaches them he is considered safe, and you have nothing more to do than to take your hounds away. Were a whipper-in permitted to ride forward and stop the earths, the huntsman might choose to find a fresh fox in his neighbour's coverts, and, knowing the earths to be stopped, take that opportunity of killing him there. There is often a great deal of jealous feeling between hunts- men of neighbouring packs, and often, I regret to say, with the masters themselves, which ought not to exist. " Do to others as you would they should do unto you" is a maxim which should never be forgotten. He who takes an unfair oppor- tunity of doing an unfriendly action towards his neighbour, I care not in what relation of life, may rest assured that, sooner or later, " with the same measure he metes to others, it will be measured to himself again." If you run a fox into your neigh- bour's country, you may follow him as long and as far as your hounds can own the scent, but you have no right to cast them into any of his coverts, if the hounds cannot hold the line of scent into them. It is but an act of courtesy, if your hounds are running into your neighbour's country, with an indifferent scent, and likely to disturb coverts which he has fixed to draw the same week, to stop your hounds at once, and return for a fresh fox. Friendly acts like these are sure to be appreciated, and will tend to strengthen those good feelings which should prevail with brother sportsmen. Having been myself a master of fox-hounds for many years, I know how necessary it is that a good understanding should exist between adjoining hunts, and I have also seen the ill effects of a contrary feeling. The enemies of fox-hunting are not slow to take advantage of any rupture between masters of hounds, and a little flame, when adroitly fanned, will soon become a devouring element, and the whole country be involved in a general conflagration. It is much to be regretted that a club has never yet been formed by masters of fox-hounds, such as the Jockey Club, to whose decision disputes might be referred . -when there existed any just grounds of questionable legality — as to occupancy of, or title to country. Such a club was attempted some few years since by Lord Hawke and other influen- tial and well-disposed masters of hounds, but soon fell to the ground, from the want, I should say, of an active secretary, who ought to have first been appointed, to carry such a measure into effect. Masters of hounds have generally their hands full of business, and dislike taking upon themselves more; but, 160 HORSES AND HOUNDS. were a secretary appointed at first by a certain number of influential masters, wliose oflice it should be to write letters, and obtain the consent of the masters of £ox-hounds generally throughout the country, I think the plan would succeed, and a club be formed which might be inferior to none in point of respectability, and the high station in life of many of its members. I tliink it will be admitted by even large game preservers that the laws of fox-hunting are rather a protection to them than otherwise. Were it in the power of every owner of coverts to choose his own pack, what endless confusion would ensue throughout the length and breadth of the land. The law courts would be fully occupied every term with actions of trespass, and nearly every man at enmity with his neighbour. English- men are, constitutionally, I may say, fond of the chase, and the noble science has many more advocates and devotees in the pre- sent time than it has ever before possessed. The current has set in, and seems so strong in that direction, that it would be hope- less for individuals, however powerful, to endeavour to fight against it ; and that man must possess^ a very narrow and selfish mind indeed, who would needlessly interfere with the amuse- ment of the many, when it costs himself very little or nothing. It is far better to' have respectable establishments, with gentle- men, generally, at their head, founded and conducted upon honourable principles, under the long-established law or custom of fox-hunting, than a lot of scratch packs, quarrelling and squabbling in tlie country, which would be the case were the old laws of fox-hunting done away with. Many game preservers are secretly, though not perhaps openly, hostile to fox-hunting, because their keepers inform them that the foxes devour half the pheasants. Should there be a bad breeding season, or Mr. Keeper appropriate rather more eggs or birds than usual to his own share, all are put down to the account of the foxes. The old story of two of a trade never agreeing is exemplified in this instance. The fox commits sad havoc with what the keeper considers his especial perquisites, rabbits, and consequently he never lets an opportunity escape of traducing his enemy. Keepers will also persuade tlieir masters, if they can, that vermin cannot be kept down without steel traps — which they know are pretty sure to catch foxes ; but their masters little think that they will catch pheasants and hares with even more certainty than foxes. I took a keeper some years ago from rather a suspicious place, but, as he had a very good recommendation, I determined to give him a trial. The first thing he asked for were some steel traps, to catch the HORSES AND HOUNDS. 161 vermin. Tliose, I told liim, I never allowed. "Pray, sir, if it is no offence, may I ask why you object to their being used T " Simply," I replied, " for this reason, that they will catch more foxes and pheasants than they will vermin." " I assure you, sir, that I can set them so that I can catch both vermin and rabbits, but never injure foxes or pheasants." " Well," I said, " you must be exceedingly clever, and I will test your ingenuity." I gave him some traps, accordingly, which I desired he would set in one particular part of the covert. The next morning I visited these traps in propria persona, before my learned keeper had arrived on the ground. In one of them was tlie toe of a fox, and in another a pheasant's claw. Mr. Keeper was rather taken aback at the exhibition of these trophies of his skill, and, I need hardly remark, there were no more traps set. Finding he had one to deal with quite as wide awake as himself, or rather more so, he never attempted to play tricks again ; and he lived with me for many years afterwards, always keeping me plenty of game and plenty of foxes. A man who cannot destroy vermin of every description without using steel traps, or laying ground baits with poison, is not worthy to be called a keeper. I will in my next give a few lessons to game preservers and keepers, how they may keep down vermin^ without either injury to foxes or pheasants. CHAPTEE XXYI. On game preservers — ^Food of foxes not confined to game — The real wild, good fox not a frequenter of hen-roosts — Old woman an J fox " in a cradle," at Castlecoomb — Dainty taste of foxes in relation to Lord 's venison ■ — Another story, equally true, as to their taste for pork — The real story — Foxes less gluttonous than is usually believed — A novus Jiomo — The battue system— Severity in the prosecution of poachers — Comparison between the battue and the fox-hunt. I WILL now endeavour to point out how game may be preserved and vermin kept down, without having recourse to those most objectionable means generally resorted to for their destruction, steel traps and poison, which have been considered by ignorant keepers as indispensable to that purpose. I would also, with aU due submission, beg to remind large game preservers, that it is quite possible for them to have an abundant supply of game for their own and friends' amusement, and also to keep a few foxes for their sporting neighbours in scarlet. M 162 HORSES AND HOUNDS. It is quite an erroneous opinion that foxes subsist entirely upon hares, rabbits, and pheasants. From long acquaintance with and careful observance of their habits, from the time they first leave the earth, where they have been bred as cubs, I have been enabled to gain a tolerably correct insight into their mode of living. When a boy, I took great pleasure in watching the proceedings of a litter of cubs, which were laid up in a small brake, about two fields from the house in wdiich I then lived. In the evening, during the summer holidays, I used to go down about eight o'clock, and sit under a tree, near the earth, to watch their gambols. As the sun dropped below the horizon, they made their appearance at the mouth of the earth, looking cautiously and stealthily around them (my position was always under the wind, or they would immediately have detected my presence among them); after running in and out for a few minutes, and looking round in all directions, they commenced play, by jumping about like kittens, rolling on the ground and pulling each other about, playing hide and seek behind the bushes, and performing all kinds of antics. In an instant, if alarmed, they would rush to the earth again, from which, in a few minutes, they would cautiously emerge, and sit up to listen. If all was still, they then proceeded a short distance to watch for black beetles, which commence their flight in the evening. Upon hearing the buzzing sound they make when striking the ground, their attention was instantly directed to the spot where the beetle fell, and a scramble ensued for the dainty morsel. Many fell to their share during the evening. Mouse hunting also "^ seemed a favourite amusement. It is astonishing the quantity of beetles and mice which are devoured by young foxes. They are the only game almost they have the power of catching, until the month of August — the larder, of course, being supplied during their infancy by their mother. Now, it may scarcely be credited that the place where these cubs were bred (and there was a litter there for many seasons following) was our chief preserve, and abounded in game — rabbits swarmed — yet I never saw a rabbit or any head of game killed by them during all the seasons they were bred there. The earth was in a brake, just opposite a large covert, and in the dell between, a grass field, which in the evening was nearly covered with rabbits. The young foxes would often go down, and skirmish with them round the bushes, but their general hunting ground was above the earth, in search of mice and beetles. It is a well-known fact, that foxes seldom prey at home, and I have often seen the old vixen go straight through all this host of rabbits, away over the hill, and return in about half an hour, HORSES AND HOUNDS. 1G3 with a rabbit in lier mouth, to her litter. When I kept fox- hounds, there was a farmer, whose house and farmyard stood within one • field of a very favourite covert, which produced always one, and generally two litters of cubs every season. He told me he never lost any of his poultry by them ; and, what was more extraordinary still, that one summer one of his hens hatched a brood of chickens in the wood hedge, not a hundred yards from the earth where the cubs were bred, and brought them all safe home. Some people may fancy I am romancing, but I am doing nothing of the kind. The state- ments I make are perfectly true. My own farm-yard was sur- rounded by coverts, in which I had two or three litters of foxes bred every season ; and although poultry of every kind roamed at large about the fields, we seldom missed a fowl, duck, or goose. The really wild fox does very little mischief either to game or poultry ; but I must admit that the Gallic importations play the rogue in a hen-roost occasionally. Tliere are certainly dis- tinct species of foxes, and their habits are different also. My brother fox-hunters may think it a strange thing for a master of hounds to do, but if a farmer complained to me of a fox visiting his hen-roost, I gave him directions to shoot him, if he could, well knowing he must be either a cur or mangy. Does itever occur to game preservers that their pheasants are roosting in the coverts long before foxes are stirring, and that a fox leaves the wood as the shades of evening fall, and hunts for Ms game in the open fields ? I do not mean to say if a ivounded bird falls in his way he will not cf«t;ch him — he would be a fool of a fox if he did not — but the chief food upon which foxes subsist are rabbits, mice, beetles, and even frogs. Hares will, of course, fall in their way occasionally ; but, as the hare is fleeter of foot than the fox, it is her own fault if she does not escape him._ Some old women, not in petticoats, believe foxes will destroy anything and everything short of the human species ; and one veritable old woman believed this also, and was nearly frightened to death on account of her habhy, as will appear from the following run, chronicled some years ago, and which, for the amusement of those who like to read good runs, even although they have taken place in bygone days, I copy literatim : — " February, 1794. — On Saturday, the pack of fox -hounds belonging to the Duke of Beaufort unkennelled a fox at Stanton Park, which they ran so sharp, that Eeynard was obliged to take refuge in a small cottage at Castle- coombe, where he entered, and jumped into a cradle (out of which an old woman had, but a few minutes beiore, taken an infant). His clamorous foes soon rushed in, and seized their victim ; the old woman not a little affrighted at these unexpected guests." M2 164 HORSES AND HOUNDS. In a provincial country, not quite so many years ago, a noble- man was persuaded by his bead keeper that the foxes, not satisfied with killing half his game, had actually become so fas- tidious, that they required venison for their suppers, and had commenced an onslaught upon the fawns in his park. My lord, not being a fox-hunter himself, althougb professing liberal opinions in politics, without any particular inquiries, seized upon this lame story as an excuse to commence operations against the foxes, and, accordingly, orders were issued from bead-quarters for their destruction forthwith. A fox hunting squire, whose lands and coverts adjoined, and w^ho also possessed a herd of deer rather more numerous than bis noble neighbour, took great umbrage at this wanton destruc- tion of foxes upon so sballow a pretence ; and seized the oppor- tunity, at a public dinner, where many sporting gentlemen and farmers were present, of commenting upon such a liberal pro- ceeding. All expressed their astonishment at any one believing such a cock-and-bull story, but they were still more surprised when the squire exclaimed, " True, gentlemen, quite true, upon the word of the keeper. No one will believe what ravenous brutes these foxes have become ; dainty dogs, not satisfied with venison for supper, but the villains must have bacon for break- fast, and I expect next, they will have one of my Scotch bul- locks for Christmas ! You may judge, gentlemen, of the lengths they will go, when I tell you that one of my tenants came to me with a very long face yesterday, and said he hoped I would give orders directly for the foxes to be shot, or he must give up his holding. 'Why so, John Grubber? ' Because, sir, there's no standing 'em any longer ; I don't mind a fowl or two, or may be a goose at odd times, but that don't suit 'em now-a-days, they be come so ventursom like, and strong with it too, you wouldn't believe it, sir.' 'Well, then, John, what are you driving atl Out wdth it.* ' Well, sir, you wont believe it, nor any one else, but this is all about it. I were awoke yesterday morning, quite yarley like, just as it were getting grey light, by a desperate scrimmage and squalling in the pig-stye. Says I to ]\Iary, my missus — you knows Mary, sir? 'Quite well, John, and a good housewife and missus she is, too, and a comely-looking one into the bargain.' ' Well, sir, I says to missus, " What the dickens is the matter with the grunters ?' " Nothing the matter Avith them, John, they are only rubbing one another up a bit ; do ye lie down again." Just then such another squeal, which Mary couldn't help hearing as well. "Odds bobs," says I, "this'll never do ;" so out 1 jumps out of bed, and throws open the window as looked into the yard, and what d'ye think I sees, HORSES AND HOUNDS. 1G5 sir ? Why, you wont never believe it ; there, a great big fox, a jumping over the pig-stye hatch, witli a pig of ten score on his back— there now !' " Shouts of laughter followed the squire s story. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "I have not done yet. John Grubber's story about the pig is quite as true as my lord's keeper's about the fawns." " Now, gentlemen," exclaimed a jovial farmer, " as the squire has broached the subject, I think I can throw a little more light upon it — this story of fawn-killing, I mean. I happen to live just outside my lord's park, and rent some land and a small brake as well, where a litter of foxes is very often bred ; and there was one there this last season, when all this work was made about them. Meeting with old John, the earth-stopper, we went down together to the earths. In searching about, we found some fish-bones, which puzzled old John exceedingly, but I had little doubt they belonged to a turbot, and said so. ' Dang it,' says John, ' why, measter, they ban't turned fishermen as well, be they ? them sorts of fish don't swim in fresh water, I guess, either.' ' No,' I said, ' they come from the sea.' ' Well, then,' replied John, ' 'tis a tolerable trip from this to South- ampton Water, and farther than I would go for the best dish of fisli that ever came out of sea or river.' ' Very likely, John, but you don't know that a turbot is considered a first-rate fish, and seldom seen but at great tables. Many of them are worth a guinea a piece.' ' Ah, indeed,' says John, ' that alters the case ; but how on earth could the ould vixen come at it f My answer to John and to you is, the old vixen became possessed of the fawn's foot, as well as the fish bones, by picking them up, one in the park, and the other on the ash-heap, behind the big house. I dare say you have heard, gentlemen, of the story of the medical student and symptoms. A learned doctor took his pupil with him to visit a patient, whom he accused of eating oysters, and severely reprimanded him for it. Upon their return, the pupil asked the doctor how he could tell his patient had been eating oysters. ' Simply enough,' replied the doctor, ' from the symptoms — I saw the shells under the bed.' This hint was improved upon considerably by the student, and had nearly cost him a broken neck, as you will hear. The doctor being otherwise engaged, sent his pupil a day or two afterwards, to visit the same patient, who was a farmer, well to do in the world, and none of the mildest of tempers. Our young practitioner (remembering all about the symptoms) looked about ; and under the bed, seeing a bridle and saddle, accused the sick man of eating a horse ! ' What, sir,' exclaimed the sick man, starting up in his bed, ' eat a horse !' ' Yes, sir, I repeat 166 HORSES AND HOUNDS. it,' replied tlie student. ' The deuce you do ; then here goes for an ass,' and he kicked young spiiptonis down stairs. So, gen- tlemen, by the same rule, our foxes must become sea-fishermen as well as deer-stalkers." Much applause followed the farmer's storj^, although not a very 7iew one ; and these sayings and doings being repeated at head-quarters, did not fail to extort a reprieve for the foxes, and we never heard any more of their aldermanic feasts. Ridicule will tell where remonstrance fails. I shall, perhaps, be told of the quantity of hen pheasants taken off their nests, which are always laid by the keeper to the charge of his rival. It may not be generally known that, by a wise ordination of Pro- vidence, whose care is evident over all his works, that very little scent belongs to birds when sitting on their eggs, the heat of their bodies being attracted downwards to their nest. Two seasons ago, I had a partridge sitting on seventeen eggs, within twenty yards of a wagon track, which led to the farm-yard ; and, although I passed close by the nest almost daily, with several dogs, they were never attracted to the spot, and the bird hatched all her eggs. Foxes are by no means heavy feeders, half a rabbit generally sufficing for their single meal, and, as they do not indulge in breakfast, dinner, and supper, however many bad names may be given to them, they are free from the charge of gluttony. When more food falls in their way than they can make use of at this one meal, it is carefully stowed away in a hole scratched in the earth, and covered over for another night. On my first keeping fox-hounds, I thought more of preserving foxes than game, and our home coverts near the kennels were kept quiet, to ensure us plenty of foxes, for cub-hunting and bye-days. I had one keeper only, who was not allowed to cany a gun, and his chief business was to look to the earths, and keep up the wood hounds. Under this man, foxes, pheasants, and other game increased pari j^xxssu. In one season I had no less than four litters of foxes bred and reared in an extent of small coverts, not exceeding a hundred acres. Twenty or thirty hares might be counted out at feed in one field, as many pheasants, and rabbits innumerable. When the kennels were removed, these coverts fell into other hands, and their present possessor, as a novus homo generally does, when first becoming a landed proprietor, commenced a vigorous war (with the assistance of a man, said to be a su])erior keeper) against vermin of every description, foxes included, by trapping and poisoning, right and left indiscriminately, all that came in his way. Neither did he stop short in shooting his HORSES AND HOUXDS. 167 neighbour's do^s either, if they dared to set foot on the land of his high mightiness. He very nearly succeeded in r»oisoning a poor man also, who, finding a part of a rabbit laid upon the ground where he was working, took it up, with the intention of carrying it home for his supper ; when, having fortunately some suspicions in his mind, he threw it to his dog instead, wliich, soon after eating it, fell dead at his feet. And what has been the result 1 that there is about one-third, or not so much, game in these woods, after such grand proceedings, as when occupied by myself, with only a woodman to look after them. It is the fashion in the present day to abuse the game, and large game preservers, as the cause of supplying the county gaols with inmates. It must be admitted that the battue system is carried to such an unwarrantable length, that it has very naturally excited the indignation and contempt (I use strong terms, but the occasion justifies them,) of every reasonable person. I shall be told that every lord of the creation has a right to do as he likes with his own. Quite true — of course he has in this free country. He has a right to butcher, in cold blood, five hundred or a thousand poor wretched tame phea- sants, driven up into a corner, that his name maybe blazoned forth in the paper by some -VNTetchod sycophant, as having performed a praisewoiihy feat. And yet, if some unhappy wight, though starving, with a wife and family, upon six or seven shillings a week, should by chance appropriate one of these birds (whose blood his rich neighbour has been shedding by the wholesale in mere loaiiionnes?, for amusement only) to satisfy the cravings of hunger, he would be condemned to two or three months' im- prisonment in a loathsome gaol, and his wife and children con- signed to a workliouse, his name branded for ever as a poacher and ofi'ender against the laws of his country! How fares it with the great game preserver — has he not broken the laws of his Creator by wanton barbarity, and the wanton shedding of the blood of his creatures ? The illiterate man, who, in some cockpit at St. Giles's, kills, or rather maims a hundred rats within a given time for a bet, with his dog, is not half so repre- hensible as the battue man. Such an act naturally excites the disgust of every right thinking mind ; but one has ignorance to plead in excuse for his conduct, the other has not. Pretty good for a fox-hunter to run on in this strain ? Is not fox-hunting quite as barbarous an amusement as pheasant butchering? Not quite, I think; but without assuming to justify the one, which has many excuses, it is difficult not to condemn the other. To a real sportsman the mere killing of the fox is no gratification. His running to ground or running IG8 HORSES AND HOUNDS. away is a relief to many, for he lives to run another day. The excitement and ardour of the chase, and its healtll-gi^dng exer- cise, are its chief attractions, and I think there can be no ques- tion if a fox had his choice of being hung up in a steel trap all night by his foot, j^ierced through and through, and torn nearly off in his agonizing endeavours to escape, or to be found by the hounds (taking his chance of good or bad scenting days), and to run for his life, which he would select. In one case, eight or ten hours' excruciating torture, before the brute of a keeper arrives, to beat his brains out with a bludgeon, or destroy him by a more lingering death — in the other, " horce momeiito clta mors venit aut victoria Iceta" CHAPTER XXVIL On the destruction of vermin ; traps and other contrivances for destroying them — The marten, polecat, stoat, weasel ; difference between the two latter — Mistakes of gamekeepers — Owls comparatively useful; hawks and kites not to be spared — Conmaon house cat, crow, magpie ; methods of entrapping them — The battue system may be allowed, but not defended — Every country gentleman may preserve his game, and yet exercise the greatest liberality and forbearance — Anecdote of a notorious poacher — Other stories illustrative of the troubled state of the country during the author's younger days. I NOW resume my pen for the purpose of giving a few instruc- tions in the destruction of vermin, hawks, crows, magpies, &c. It may not be amiss to particularise the different kinds of animals and birds which prey upon game generally, their time of breeding, habits, and haunts. Foremost in the list, as most destructive, stand the polecat, stoat and weasel. The marten has become almost extinct in many of our provincial counties, but is still to be found in the north of England and Scotland ; it is one of the most beautiful of this species of animals — almost a fox in miniature. In its head and ears it resembles a fox, and also in its tail, which is thick and bushy. The marten was formerly much sought after for its skin, which was considered very valuable, and on that account, perhaps, its tribe has been so much diminished in this country. There are still, however^ large quantities of these skins imported from Canada. When a boy, I remember hunting the marten in some thick woodlands, with a pack of harriers, when other game was scarce. They generally held to the thickest part of the covert, HORSES AND HOUNDS. 169 giving tlie lioimds a good opportunity of scratching their faces, and, when tired, ascended a tree, or went to ground in the rocks. The polecat, stoat, and weasel are the most bloodthirsty of all vermin, living almost upon the blood of the animals and birds which they destroy. Eabbits are their chief prey, which have little chance of escape, as they not only seek them in their bur- rows, but, when driven out, hunt them by scent, and seldom lose their game. It has been said that weasels and stoats form themselves into packs, for the purpose of running down hares and rabbits. This is partly correct. I have myself seen a litter of young stoats, with their mamma at their head, in hot pursuit of a rabbit ; and so intent were they on their sport, that, although they met me in full career in a narrow lane, they paid no attention to my presence, but went on with the chase ; neither did I (struck with the novel sight) interfere with them. In the winter season, however, I have seldom seen more than two together. Their method, in killing hares and rabbits, is to seize them behind the ear; and so firm is their hold, that no efforts of the poor animals can remove their remorseless enemy. They then suck the blood, gnawing into the vertebrae of the neck or brain. In this state the rabbit is abandoned, and a fresh pursuit commences. " Catch a weasel asleep" is rather an old saying, and a tolerably correct one. They are an ever-rest- less, busy, meddling race, and I have met with them at all hours of the day, and nigiit too. Where rabbits are scarce, they hunt the hedge-rows in fields for other game, and nothing comes amiss to them. Hen pheasants and jDartridges, which often make their nests in banks or under walls, fall an easy prey; young leverets are equally helpless. I must here, however, make some distinction between the stoat and the weasel, which are often confounded together as one species. They difier both in size, colour, and length of tail materially. I know only of one species of stoat, but I have certainly seen more than one species of weasel. The stoat is yellow on its back in summer, and often white in winter, with a long body, rather large ears, and a long tail, with a black tip at the end, the throat and belly being a yellowish white. The weasel, on the contrary, is not half the size of the stoat, although in bodily shape resembling him. He is of a brown colour on the back, his head more angular and ears shorter than the stoat, stands shorter on the legs, and has a short tail. There is one species of weasel so small that it can easily follow mice in their holes ; and one of these, not long since, I watched into a mouse's hole in an open grass field. Seeing something 170 HORSES AND HOUNDS. hopping along in the grass, which I took for a large, long-tailed field mouse, I stood still, as it was approaching my position, and when within a foot or two of the spot on which I was standing, so that I could have a full view of the animal, a very- small weasel appeared and quickly disappeared again in a tuft of grass. On searching the spot I discovered a mouse-hole, into which Mr. Weasel had retreated. It should be borne in mind that, as the stoat lives chiefly upon rabbits, game, and birds, and is a great enemy, therefore, to the game preserver, yet the weasel, preying upon rats and mice more particularly, is especially a friend to the farmer. An owl and a weasel in a barn will kill more rats and mice than half-a-dozen cats ; for, while the owl is watching and pouncing upon the mice which appear above ground, the weasel is pur- suing them below. In the keeper's catalogue of vermin, which, of his own making, like a lawyer's bill, is a pretty long one, the bird of wisdom, as well as the bird of ill omen, is j)nt down as a debtor. The plea against the owls, however, is upon a parallel with the accusation against those poor, harmless animals, hedgehogs, which are gravely accused of not only sucking eggs, but, by some, of milking cows as well. The owl never leaves his place of shelter until the shades of evening are falling; and although a young rabbit may occasionally be justly laid to his charge, he seldom oifends further against the game laws ; and the great service he renders farmers and the public generally in destroying such quantities of mice, ought to ensure his pro- tection. Against hawks and kites I admit a true bill ought to be found — but spare the owls. Polecats and stoats have their young in the months of March and April, producing five or six, and sometimes seven, at a litter, which are laid up in an old hollow tree or rabbits' hole in a dry bank, in cracks of rocks, and old walls. The best traps in which these vermin may be caught are the wooden boxes, called in some countries witches, and the common figure of 4, with a stone tile. As they almost invariably have their runs by the side of hedges and walls, the wooden box is a sure trap. These boxes may be made of any size, and I have used them constantly. Mine were made wdth both ends open, and two falling doors instead of one. They were placed first for a week or ten days quite open, without being set ; and when afterwards set, seldom failed to produce some tenant of the weasel tribe, safely, though harmlessly, secured. I have seen them also used on a large scale, to catch rabbits. The wood bounds being made good, holes were made at certain distances in the bank, HORSES AKD HOUNDS. 171 in wliicli these boxes were placed ; and, by allowing the rabbits to pass through them for a few days, until accustomed to the run, they were, when set, a sure -and safe trap. By visiting them several times in the evening, many rabbits were caught, and the traps were then thrown open for the rest of the night. When these wooden traps are set in the runs of weasels or stoats, a bait is seldom necessary, as these vermin are naturally very inquisitive, and pry into every hole they find open. With the figure of 4 trap a bird recently killed is the best bait, placed on the horizontal stick which combines the trap ; the falling stone or tile may be sufficiently heavy to kill instantly any of these smaller variety of vermin, or even a cat. The common house cat, when once accustomed to the woods, is never after- wards of any service as a mouser, and makes great havoc amongst all kinds of game ; the sooner she is disposed of then the better. Crows and magpies may be easily cauoht, by placing a piece of carrion — part of a dead sheep or rabbit — in a pollard tree or on the ground, with strong horsehair nooses upon and around the bait, secured by a strong piece of twine, either tied to the limbs of the tree or pegged down to the ground. In the breeding season, also, their nests are easily found, and the old birds may be shot, by waiting their return to them in the evening. Kites and hawks may be destroyed in the same manner, without torturing them in steel traps, or destroying them by poison, for which there is no excuse. Although entertaining a strong prejudice, in which I am not singular, against the battue system, yet I am by no means an enemy to the moderate preservation of game, for the use of the landed proprietor and his friends. Neither is the preservation of game, on liberal principles, any nuisance. As all landed proprietors are not fox-hunters, they require relaxation and amusement as well as their neighbours, and, in the winter season, hunting and shooting are the chief inducements to remain at their country seats. A country gentleman, with a generous heart, may have as much game as he requires for himself and neighbours at a very trifling expense, and without supplying the county gaols with many inmates. I never had more than one keeper for many years, and there was always as much game as I required for the house, and my neighbours as well; and, although the parish was large in which I lived, there were very few poachers in it. In the course of twenty years I do not think I ever caused more than two or tliree offenders against the game laws to be corrected; and those were incorrigible vagabonds — mauvais snjets in every respect. The tenants on the property were never refused hares or rabbits 172 HORSES AND HOUNDS. whenever they applied for them ; and when game of any kind was shot on their land, a certain portion was always left for them, so that they became interested in its preservation. Neither were the poor forgotten. If any man wanted a hare as a present, he was never refused, or a couple of rabbits for him- self In covert shooting men were employed instead of dogs for beaters. At the close of the day the rabbits were laid out, and each man received according to his family, with a shilling also for his day's work. In my shooting and coursing expe- ditions, during the dead months, I was never without attend- ants ; though not invited ; they knew they were not unwelcome, and all shared in my good or bad luck. Such a course ensured me plenty of friends, and all were interested in the game. I can only say I had more, very much more, than I ever could make use of, with all these recipients to boot. Independent of my own land, adjoining occupiers would allow no one to tres- pass upon their holdings. Their general answer to any marau- ders was, that the game belonged to the squire, and no one else should have it. Poachers, therefore, had little chance with so many keepers. In my father's time there was a notorious poacher in an ad- joining parish, not our own, who would occasionally make a swoop upon the hares at night, and, not satisfied with his exploits, boasted of them as well. He had been overheard to say, he should have some hares out of a certain field, not far from the house, as soon as the corn was cut ; and have them he would, notwithstanding all the squire might do to the contrary, and that " they called him master." This information was given to the governor, who merely replied, " Oh, very well — we shall see who is master, perhaps, one of these days." On the night the corn was cut, my father went out with his gun, about ten o'clock, and, as there was a row of trees running at right angles up to the gate of the field, which was surrounded also by a high wall, he could approach the spot without being seen — it being a dark night also. Standing behind one of the trees, he quietly awaited the approach of Mr. Jim, who soon came, and set his net at the gate, whilst his companion went to the other side of the field with the dog to drive the hares into it. For a few minutes all was still, Jim being stationed behind the gate-post, when down came a hare, rushing into the net. Jim was down upon his hands and knees in a minute upon the hare, exclaim- ing, " Squaak, squaak, is it, my dear? 'Tis no use your crying out, for the squire can't hear you, and you calls me master now." " Wait a bit," says the governor to himself; " I shall put in a word or two presently, my boy." So he takes a few steps back- HORSES AND HOUNDS. 173 wards, and, at about sixty yards distance, as Falstaff says, he " lets drive " at Jim's seat, which was exposed by his stooping position, and a particular patch of white corduroy attached. The uproar that ensued was indescribable almost. It was Jim's turn now to cry out, which he did with a vengeance ; and, scrambling over the gate, he ran away from the field as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving, in his confusion, both nets and hare behind. The governor, having coolly re-loaded, approached the spot, took up the hare and nets, and carried them home. " Who is master now T soliloquized my father ! The next day it was all over the parish that Jim had met with a sad mishap in the night, but he would not tell hoiv, and was obliged to take to his bed ; his wife having some trouble to pick the shots out. In a few days, however, he was all right again ; and happen- ing to meet the squire, he asked him what had been the matter. " Oh, sir," said Jim, " you shouldn't have done it ; it were too near, it were, and 'twere like hot pins running into me." "What's the fool talking about T said the squire ; " I suppose you got drunk coming home from market, tumbled into a black- thorn bush, and then fancied some one had been peppering you." " Oh, no, squire, 'twernt no fancy, and I warn't drunk, and if I had, the tickling I got would soon a sobered anybody ; but I wont be caught at that game any more, you may depend on't." "Very well," said the squire; "keep to your good resolu- tions, and here's a plaister to heal your wounds this time." Those were troublesome times, and we did not stick at trifles; being obliged sometimes to take the law into our own hands. As a boy, I never went to bed without having a gun loaded Tinder my pillow, and a terrier sleeping in the room. We lived in a solitary house, far away from any village ; and, as highway robberies were frequent, and housebreaking going on pretty ex- tensively, we were always prepared with dogs, guns, and pistols for an attack. A man was stopped and murdered not a mile from our house, on the high road, and a regular footpad (as they were then called) took up his quarters in a wood not a hun- dred yards from the lodge gates. This fellow actually stopped my cousin, who was taking a walk with her maid, close by the wood in open day ; but his behaviour was so gentleman-like (so she expressed it), that she begged he might not be prosecuted on her account, if even caught. Her account was that, as she was walking along the lane, by the wood hedge, this man made his appearance, took off his hat on approaching her, and, politely apologizing for his intrusion, said he was in sore distress, and obliged to live upon what he could get, he acknowledged dis- Jwmstly but that he had a wife and children nearly starving. 174 HORSES AND HOUNDS. My cousin, possessing a good deal of presence of mind, said to him, " Then you mean to rob mef "No, madam," he replied, " I never robbed a lady, and never will ; bivt if you will give me any money, I shall feel obliged." " Well," she said, " there is my purse, and I suppose I must give up my watch and rings as well — here they are." Taking the purse, he appropriated the silver to himself, and then politely handed it back to her, with her watch and rings. The servant, being frightened nearly out of her wits, begged him to keep ail, and let them go. He sternly reproved her, and told her to hold her tongue. Then, bowing to my cousin, said he had one favour to ask more before they parted. " What is it T she said. " Only, madam, that you will give me your word of honour that you will not appear against me, should I be taken." " That," she replied, " I willingly give you, and can only regret that one such as you are, of good man- ners and address, should be found pursuing so unworthy a course. You have not robbed me of much, and more I would readily have given you, had I possessed it." " Many thanks, madam, for your kind wishes, and may you never know the miseries I have experienced in life." Tlie next moment he disappeared into the wood. The ser- vant immediately ran home, notwithstanding her mistress's orders to stop, and spread the news to the other servants, that her mistress liad been robbed. Upon the governor's return, he was quickly apprized of what had taken place, and immediately requested my kind-hearted cousin to give him all the particulars. This she was very reluctant to do, fearing my father would directly send out to take him. " Well, Mary," he said, " you know I always keep my word, and if you will give me the full particulars of all that took place, your hero shall be none the worse for my knowing the secret." The story was then told, and the governor remarked, " That fellow I must see, if possible ; but I give you my word he shall never receive injury at my hands for his conduct to you this day." About two hours after we had all retired to rest, my father's knock at my bedroom door and the dog barking, roused me from sleep. Jumping out of bed, I asked quickly if anything was the matter. " No," he replied, " but I want you, my boy ; get up quietly, and come down to my room — we must go out." This was nothing unusual ; so I dressed at once, and went cautiously down stairs. " Now," he said, " you will say nothing of this to Mary to-morrow ; but I wish to meet with the man who robbed her — not to injure him, but to give him five pounds, and to see if I can make an honest man of him, for he must have some proper feelings left." We accordingly sallied forth, each with HORSES AND HOUNDS. 175 our gim, and a couple of terriers to follow liim, should the man run away from us. Carefully and stealthily we crept along, until we reached the road near the wood, where we expected to find him — neither were we far out in our conjectures. He had evidently been there, but had heard us approaching, and he sought the shelter of the wood again, as the dogs immediately dashed off ; but it was so dark we could not follow them, and were obliged to call them back. We searched the wood on the following day, and for two or three nights tried to meet him, but without success ; our hero had decamped. A man, liowever, answering his description, was captured a short time afterwards in a neighbouring county, by attempting to rob a farmer on horseback in the open day, who roused the neighbourhood in pursuit ; and, although the fellow topped the stone walls, as the farmer said, like a greyhound, at first, he was finally run into and taken at last. His fate I never heard. My father had also a very narrow escape from a highwayman at another time. He was returning home on horseback from a friend's house, where he had been dining ; and on passing' over an open down, through wliich the turnpike road led, he heard some one on horseback following him. Guessing this boded no good, and being unprovided that night with pistols, he mended his pace — so did his pursuer. Being on a thorough-bred horse, he knew he could scarcely be caught, and so put him into a gallop. The highwayman galloped after him. This wont do, thought my father, I must race a bit. His follower raced too ; but, not being able to get up with my father, he hallooed out, " Stop — or I'll blow your brains out." " Blow away, you fool," cried the governor, " I have none to spare." The fellow fired — the ball passed through the flap of his coat, as it flew open in the race, but fortunately without injury. Some short time after- wards the highwayman was caught, convicted, and ordered for execution. He got the governor of the gaol to write to my father, saying a prisoner under condemnation wished particu- larly to see him, and hoped he would come without delay. He immediately set off to the prison, and when the culprit was pro- duced, requested to know what he wanted with him. " You don't know me, then," said the man. " No," replied my father, *' I do not." " But I know you, squire, and I cannot die with- out begging your forgiveness for shooting at you oue night coming over the downs. I did not know until the trigger was pulled that it was you ; but your voice struck me afterwards, and I hope you will forgive me, for it has dwelt on my mind ever since." His forgiveness was soon obtained ; endeavours were not wanting either to procure a reprieve of his sentence ; 176 HORSES AND HOUNDS. but without effect. The culprit himself had little hopes, as he had done a great deal of business in a short time, and many- appeared against him on his trial. He proved to be a farmer's servant in our neiglibourhood, who used his master s horse, when he had retired to bed, for this unlawful purpose. I have related these stories to show that these were trouble- some times, and there was a necessity some times to take the law into our own hands. Having now, in my last two chapters, got entirely off the line, I purpose in my next to resume the subject of fox-hunting. CHAPTER XXVni. Difficulties during a fox-chase, and best means of overcoming them — Different behaviour of huntsmen to their hounds — Knowledge of the country essential — Difference between foxes eaidy in the season and after Christ- mas— Eelative speed of fox and fox-hound — The run — Death of the fox — The first check the most critical — Mischief of " going to halloos" — • Consequence of so doing — Difficulties overcome by perseverance — A seen worthy of Landseer. Having found our fox and pointed out the proper positions of huntsman and whipper-in, we will endeavour to follow him over the open, and relate the difficulties which often occur in a fox chase, and the best way to meet them. As soon as his hounds break covert, it is the place of the huntsman to be with them. He should not be sparing of his horn upon leaving the covert, and this, with a loud cheer or two of " Forward away !" will leave few, if any, stragglers behind. There is, however, a vast difference with huntsmen. To some, who are fond of and cheerful with their hounds, the pack will fly like lightning ; with others, who have a dull, monotonous manner with them, the reverse will be the case. It has been said by Beckford, that when the scent is good, a huntsman cannot press on his hounds too much. This has struck me almost as an absurdity, for we all know that with a high scent you cannot press hounds at all. With heads up and sterns down, high-bred fox-hounds will go as fast as their legs can carry them ; but if horses can press upon them, in such a case, they may go, as the Irishman said, faster than their legs can carry them : that is, they will go clean over the scent for half a mile or so. When hounds run hard, as our term is, it is as much as we can do to keep with them, and the less they are interfered with the better; HORSES AND HOUNDS. 177 cheering and screaming, at sucli a time, thoiigli often done in the excitement of the chase, generally i)roduce more harm than good, and I have witnessed their ill efiects often. Hounds are wild enough at that time, without any extra excitement. Upon leaving covert, I like to hear a huntsman cheery with his voice and horn, and it is then of great service in getting his hounds well together ; but when that is done, and the hounds have settled down to the scent, the horn should be still, and the voice too. The huntsman's head has then to be employed, and he should be prepared for casualties. Knowledge of his country is of essential service to a hunts- man in making his casts, or recovering a lost fox, as they generally take the same line. In the early part of the season, young foxes know little country, and will run short, hanging about the earths and woods where they have been bred. Neither will old foxes, at that time, unless hard pressed, leave their home for any distance, often making wide rings, and returning to the covert in which they were found. A knowledge of these facts will direct a man of observant habits what to do when his hounds come to a check. At this season of the year a forward cast is least likely to recover the scent. After Christmas, and when the clicking season commences, foxes travel very long dis- tances, and afford good chases. If found away from home, dog foxes will run straight to their native places, and, unless hounds are quick after them, there is little chance of their being caught, as, having an object in view, they put their best leg foremost, and do not linger by the way. Although the hare is much swifter of foot than the fox, yet the latter, having greater powers of endurance, can travel a much greater distance in less time than a hare could. In speed the fox-hound and his game are pretty much on a par, but it is the superior power and condition of the former which enable him to overhaul Mr. ReynaT'd in the long run. I have witnessed many a race with my own hounds in the open, after a fox, but I never, in any one instance, saw them beaten. I remember, some years ago, we had been running a fox, with a middling scent (never being able to press him), for about thirty minutes, when we came to a check in a road near a large field of turnips, just on the verge ot the downs. Whilst trying to hit the scent ofi, up jumped the fox in the turnips, about 200 yards ofi". In a moment there was such a hullahcdoo and tally-hoing from the field, that the hounds caught sight of their game as he was leaving the turnip field, and away they went, helter-skelter, horses and hounds all together, straight over the open. They gained upon their iox every stroke they took ; but^ 178 HORSES AND HOUNDS, on rising the liill, a gentleman of the neighbouring hunt, into whose country we were running, cried out, exultingly, " See how he is beating them up the hill ; you wont see much more of him on the other side." " Wait a bit, my friend/' I ex- claimed ; " you are deceived about the fox beating the hounds. The fact is, whilst we were running down hill, the distance between hounds and fox, being foreshortened, appeared less than it actually was, and now, going up hill, it appears greater; but we shall have him in a few minutes, and that w^e may see from the top of the hill, for we shall not be with them, that is quite clear." We had plenty of time for this short interchange of opinion as we were working our way up the steep hill-side, which was a regular stopper, and our pace was not much out of a walk. Upon gaining the summit of the hill, the hounds and fox were far away in tlie distance, but so close together, that I exclaimed to my doubting companion, "You need not hurry noiv, the business is over." I could see the leading hound make a dash at the fox, which he evaded only to fall into the mouth of another. The only person near the hounds Avhen the fox was pulled down was the second whipper-in, upon* a thorough- bred mare ; the rest — myself included — were not placed ; in short, we were quite out of the race. When we got together, all exclaimed it was the quickest thing ever seen, and were quite delighted at doubling up, in this first-rate style, an old dog fox in our neighbour's country. Being then at least twenty- five miles from the kennels, home was the next order of the day. The first check that occurs is often the most critical. The fox, being fresh, makes the best use of his legs, and if much time is lost, he will (if a good one) beat you. Many huntsmen at such a moment will do hasty things, being themselves in a wondrous hurry, and out of temper, perhaps, at such a sudden contretemps. Coolness at such a moment is, however, the best help out of the difficulty. Let the hounds have their own fling first ; the chances are, if the scent is good, that they have gone over it by the fox being suddenly headed — unless a flock of sheep have come in their way, or a piece of fallows ; but a good pack of hounds, if given a reasonable time and full room, will recover the scent by their own natural instinct much more readily than when taken hold of by an enterprising genius of a huntsman, and hurried half a mile oft, to suit his fancy or caprice. Hounds that are often lifted, do not take half the trouble others will, which are left to themselves, in recovering a lost scent ; at the first check which occurs, their noses will be up in the air, instead of where they ought to be— on. the ground. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 179 Going to halloos is also very prejudicial to them. It encou- rages them to be idle, and to look for assistance, instead of trusting to themselves. It has been said, "that a pack of hounds which will not bear lifting are not worth keeping." I admit this to be the case, but only to a certain extent ; there are times when all hounds require lifting, but if judiciously done, and not often repeated, they will not be injured by it. This is the exception, not the rule ; but I am quite sure that a pack of hounds continually lifted by a harey slavey huntsman are not worth keeping. A huntsman of this description whom I once knew, always up in the stirrups, with his eyes and ears well open upon any emergency, was once nicely caught in going, as he thought, to a halloo. His hounds and self having come to a dead stand, after the exercise of all their ingenuity to little purpose, my friend Joe and his now mute companions were, as usual, looking out literally for squalls. The day was windy, and Joe descried at a distance, as he thought, a man on a wall, with his hat and coat off. This was enough ; in went the spurs, and off started Joe with his darlings, as ready as their master for any such enterprise. Only guess Joe's astonishment and chagrin when, nearing the spot, he discovered an old grey- headed horse, with his white nose poking over the wall. It was a damper, and the laugh of even his most admiring friends could not be repressed. The old grey horse was a standing joke against him for many a long day after, and a horse-laugh was Joe's abomination. ' At particular seasons of the year, also, sundry little urchins are employed in the " alfresco" amusement of bird-keeping, and having little else to do, they spend their time in trying who can halloo the loudest. At such periods it is a ticklish affair going to halloos. This is but a poor resource, after all that can be said in its favour, and a huntsman had much better trust to his hounds" noses first, his own talents afterwards when the hounds fail, and when all these have been fairly tried, he may try what dependence can be placed on a halloo — or try for a fresh fox, which is his dernier ressort When a fox has been pressed at starting, and has given yon a good run, my plan is never to give him up as long as the hounds can own the scent ; ten to one but that he will loiter somewhere, and if you can only once get upon better terms mth him, you may be tolerably sure he will come to hand • and I always derived more satisfaction in witnessing the hounds working through difficulties and gradually improving upon the scent, than in a burst of thirty or forty minutes, with a whoo- whoop at the end. Any lot of curs, with a burning scent, may n2 ■180 HORSES AND HOUNDS. race a fox to death, but it requires a good pack of hounds to catch a good old warrior, who can hold on for an hour and a half. To beat such a one, fox-hounds must not only run hard, but hunt as well, and persevere in their work; and there is great satisfaction, as well as great merit, in finishing him off handsomely at last. I may here relate one instance out of many in which my perseverance through difficulties was crowned with the deserved success. We found a fox in some large woodlands, on a day which was pronounced by the cognoscenti in such matters to be a very bad one for scent, and after a ring or two round the covert, a friend of mine — who, by the way, was a master of hounds himself, only in a different line — said he thought we should not be able to do anything, only, perhaps, be badgering about those woods all day ; and he thought, as there was little prospect of a run, he should go home, having other business to attend to. " Just stay a quarter of an hour longer," I replied, " for, unless I am very much deceived, we have an old warrior before us, and he wont hang about here much longer." " Nonsense," he said, " upon such a day as this, you could not catch a bad fox, much less a good one ; and I have heard you say it requires three good things to catch a good fox : a good scenting day, a good pack of hounds, and a good huntsman." " Very true," I replied ; " of the latter we will say nothing ; of the former we cannot say much at present ; but there is a good pack of hounds out, and I wish you to be satisfied on that point iDcfore you go home." " Very well," he said, " I will wait at least half an hour longer, and see how you go on." Our fox had tried to break once or twice at the top of the covert, but was headed back by the horsemen and foot people ; his point I therefore knew to be another large covert about a mile distant. Being foiled in these attempts, he at last broke away nearly at the bottom of the wood, making a circuit over the vale, to reach the same covert, in which was a strong head of earths. We ran him pretty sharply over the open, having a turn of the wind in our favour, and dashed up to the earths, which were closed. Finding no refuge here, our gallant game, without more ado, broke away again, and set his head straight for my neighbour's country, resolved to do or die. We ran him for several miles with a moderate and treacherous scent into the heart of the adjoining hunt, and our first check of any con- sequence was at a rather wide brook. The hounds crossed over near a ford or shallow place, where the horses could easily cross as well, and after running to an old stone quarry, they turned short back upon us as we were ascending the hill, and crossed the HORSES AND HOUNDS. 181 brook again nearly in the same place, one or two favourite liounds only throwing their tongues. " Hang it," exclaimed my friend, who was still with me, " this can never be right — they are running heel.'' " No, no," I said, " you are thinking of your little currant-jelly dogs at home ; our big-headed animals don't do things in that fashion." Eight, my boys ! for over he went. He tried the quarry hole, but it was shut ; " and now he is away again for another dodge, and perhaps (looking slily at my friend) for another day." " Ay, that he is, old fellow, you may depend upon it; you wont handle him to-day, with all your kno\^dng looks and craft besides." " Come on, then, and see, for he has an hour in him still, and we shall make your old horse cry ' Bellows to mend !' before he is booked ; for catch him I mean if he keeps above ground." Passing through a small brake on the opposite side of the brook, where the fox, I think, waited a minute or two, to shake himself dry, or determine upon his next course of pro- ceeding, the hounds got upon better terms, and began run- ning for a mile or two rather sharply. We then came to slow hunting again, over some ploughed lands, and they all thought it was over, when we crossed a road, down which the hounds seemed to mark the scent. We went on the road for nearly half a mile, trying the hedge as we went, when we met a farmer on horseback, who had been riding some distance on it. Eager inquiries w^ere made, of course, by every one if he had seen tlie fox. "No." "Now," said my friend, " the game is up to a dead certainty, and I shall stop no longer." "Good morning, then; and I will send you the brush to-morrow." " Pshaw !" he exclaimed, and turned away. My bristles were now up, and I determined to persevere. An old favourite hound threw his tongue in the middle of the road up which the farmer had been riding, upon which a stanch friend to hounds quietly remarked, coming close up to me, " Is it possible that can be right ?" " Yes," I said, " it is quite pos- sible, and now we shall do again." Some of the field going down the road, to save their nags (who had all by this nearly if not quite enough, and some more than enough) viewed the fox stealing away the other side of a plantation before the hounds reached it; and such a row commenced at this unhoped-for light breaking in upon us, that it baffles description, and it nearly baffled the hounds as well. They were soon, however, out of the hwiy hurly, although the fox had gained a consider- able distance by it. Now came the tug of war, for he was as game an old fox as ever wore brush. Down went the hounds' 182 HORSES AND HOUNDS. sterns and up went their heads, as, catching the scent, they dashed over the fence, running as if they could see him. '' Now, gentlemen, ride — ride as hard as you like, for they will have him in ten minutes." Such a scene I hardly ever witnessed, with nearly tired horses, which had been coming across some very stiff en- closures ; racing at such a time was out of the question, but the effort was made notwithstanding. Rival jockeys jostled each other at the fences, and the rolling and crushing was tremendous. Two hard-riding farmers in this scramble of a couple of miles or less actually killed their horses — more shame to them ! Mine, I admit, had already enough ; and, knowing this, I did not over-hurry him, seeing also that matters would soon be brought to a favourable conclusion without my further interference. A small plantation sheltered the fox for a second or two, but on the other sidq, leaping a park fence, the hounds caught sight of their game, and raced into him in an open park, pulling him down among a herd of deer, whose company he sought as a last refuge. The deer, being used to the cry of hounds, stood gazing on at a short dis- tance, and it was altogether a scene wortliy the pencil of Landseer — the fox in the hands of the whipper-in, the hounds baying round, men with their hats off, wiping their foreheads, the horses^ which had got up standing alone without their riders, their heads lowered and tails erect, shaking from their exertions — some walking leisurely in, others trying to make a last gallop of it, and the herd of deer in the distance, would form a beautiful picture. We had been nnming this fox from the time we first found him, I should think, about two hours and forty minutes. We had a very poor scent, only sufficient to hold on the line at some periods. But this only shows what perseverance can accomplish. The finish was complete. It was one of those days of which I may fairly say, Hixc oTim rneminissejuvahlt. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 183 CHAPTEK XXIX. Of hounds that run wide — Hunning the foil — A month's hunting in another country — Eun after, and death of a fox that had baffled the huntsman three years — The author treated to the worst fixtures — Death of a second okl fox — Ahvays attended to my hounds' dinner before my own — A sporting divine — Various remarks and anecdotes — Pursuit of a fox running with a rabbit in his mouth. When hounds run over the open or in covert, they should carry a good head — that is, spread wide, and not tail (as the hunting phrase is) one after another. A pack of hounds which spread wide have, of course, a much better chance with the scent than a long line of hounds following their leader. To whichever side a fox may turn in the chase, one hound or other, when they run wide, will take up the scent, and the body so go on together without being brought to a check. A hound which runs mute, or is a skirter, should be drafted ; they will both do a _great deal of mischief. An old fox-hunter once remarked to me that there was a wide distinction between hounds running at a scent, and carrying it with them; and there is much force in this observation. A good pack of hounds should go with the scent, and not beyond it, turning always with it — in short, quick hounds ; these will seldom go beyond it. Others dash at the scent, and most fre- quently dash over it. They have then to recover their lost ground. Here lies the distinction between a quick hound and a fast one ; both, perhaps, equal in speed, but doing their w^ork in a different style. The fable of the hare and the tortoise may be quoted as an instance to show what a steady pace, with per- severance, may accomplish. I do not here intend to recom- mend old or bad hounds, that will tye upon a scent — they are worse than useless, and will act as a drag upon the rest of the pack. The superiority of a well-bred fox-hound over other hounds consists in his pushing forward, and making the most of a bad scent. An old southern hound, or harrier, would be bow- wowing over the scent across one field, whilst a fox-hound would carry or follow it a mile in the same space of time. When foxes run their foil in covert — that is, continue running over the same ground, by which hounds are so frequently foiled, and the scent becomes almost lost — some huntsmen will take their hounds away, and find a fresh fox. I cannot admire tliis course of proceeding ; it may be all very well upon a bad scenting day, or when you may have particular reasons lor i84 HOESES AND HOUNDS. showing a day's sport, or when it is very cold, and your field want warming ; but a fox left under such circumstances will only give you more trouble another time, and I would much rather finish him off at once, or make him break covert. Skulking brutes of this description are always getting in the way when not wanted, and I have a great dislike to be beaten, even by a fox. Some years ago, I took my hounds, by particular invitation, into another country for a month's hunting, and was favoured with not the best places of meeting, merely, I suppose, to try what we were capable of doing. Upon one occasion I was sent to find an old hanging brute of a fox, which had baffled the old huntsman for three years in succession ; and so satisfied was he that he would beat us also, that he bet my whipper-in five shil- lings w^e did not catch him. The bet was accepted, which my man informed me of in our way to covert. Upon arriving at the place of meeting, the keeper made his appearance on a stout pony, and gave me the intelligence that the old gentleman was at home who had beaten Mr. Slowman for three seasons. " You know him well, then, keeper !" " Oh yes, sir, we be old acquaint- ances, and I think likely to remain so some time longer." " Well," I said, " all I wish you to do is, to go with me into the covert, and introduce me to your friend ; I promise you I will stick to him afterwards." " I'll show^ him to you, sir, as soon as ever you begin drawing, and my notion is, you wont forget 'un in a hurry." After the coffee-house formalities had been dispensed with, we proceeded to business, the keeper accompanying me, to introduce us to the old gentleman's quarters. He was at home, and ready to receive us. My whipper-in had learnt all par- ticulars of his tricks the night before, from the old huntsman, who was anything but a teetotaller, and finding this out, he had plied him pretty well with drops of brandy, until he had wormed some secrets out. Jim accordingly told me all about him, and received his instructions how to act. The tactics of this old fox were to keep running his foil, as the term is, round the covert, with the occasional diveHissement of taking a short circuit in the open, and back again at the old game. We rattled him pretty sharply at first, but he was begin- ning to increase his distance from the hounds, by failure of scent, and I saw, unless we had recourse to stratagem, the game might last for hours. I was also nettled by the keeper riding up, laughingly, and saying, " Well, sir, I suppose you knows the colour of his coat by this time, and w^hether he has got a white tip to his brush." Beckoning to the whippers-in, who were both in a large drive, which ran through the centre of the HORSES AND HOUXDS. iSo covert, T gave them orders, one to ride to tlie end of tlie drive, where the fox always crossed over, and keep cracking Jiis whip, but not before he had a signal from me. I then rode down to the point where the fox passed over to the upper part of the covert, with the second wliipper-in. As soon as the fox was well over the ride, I stopped the body of the hounds, leaving only a few to follow him on to the other end. The second whipper-in hustled the hounds after me down the drive ; and giving the signal to the other to crack his whip at the further end, to which the fox had now arrived, we all three dashed straight in, hounds and all, and gave the old gentleman such a meeting that he broke away at once, nearly in view, and we ran into him in the open in about forty minutes. Thus ended our first day in my friend's country, which was anything but satis- factory to Mr. Slowman, who not only lost his live shillings, but somewhat of his credit also, by our mastering this old fox, which had so often mastered him. Being a stranger in the country, they did their best to take me in, and accordingly selected the most distant fixtures, where foxes were rather scarce. Our next appointment was quite at the outskirts of their country, and where another old slyboots was in the habit of residing. He wds, a very cool hand, as the sequel will show, but this time reckoned without his host. The changing from a good scenting country to a bad one is very much against a pack of hounds. Ours had come from nearly a grass country into one almost entirely under the plough, and abounding in flints, by which the hounds' feet were sorely cut and bruised. We were alike all strangers in the land ; and these things being taken into consideration, we had a hard battle to fight, all the odds being against us. We had on our side confidence in the hounds, perseverance, and activity ; and to these we trusted to fight through our difficulties. Halloos, as I have before remarked, I never attended to ; knowledge of the country I had none. We had, therefore, to find our fox, and stick close to the hounds, in and out of covert, being always with them, wherever they turned. Our horses were nearly thorough-bred, and good fencers, but in the fencing department the country was deficient. We had, therefore, no opportunity of 2^ounding our neighbours, which at that time of day we were quite capable of doing, when any stiff work of this kind was before us. A few of our hard riders had gone up with the hounds, just, as they said, to show the natives how to do the trick ; but, much to their annoyance, there were few fences to ride over, and, but for the warm and hospitable reception they met with, would soon have returned back again. 186 HOKSES AND HOUNDS. A good and jovial sportsman remarked one day to some of the field, " Well, gentlemen, I cannot say mucli as regards tlie hunting part of it, but I candidly admit yours is the best six o'clock country I have ever been in ; and if we cannot go very fast over these flinty fallows, we certainly do go the pace over the mahogany in the evening, and I pronounce your country in that respect second to none." Our entertainers did tlieir best to amuse us, and their hospitality was unbounded. Dinner parties every day in the week ; so that we had rather hard work, taking the day and night together. The foxes also appeared to think a good deal about their dinners, as will appear from the conduct of Mr. Slyboots, whom we found at home on the second day of our meeting. The distance from the kennel was about twelve miles, nine of which we had to grind along on a turnpike road, composed of flints and gravel. I always rode with the hounds to the place of meeting ; in fact, they were seldom trusted to the tender mercies of a whipper-in. We left the kennel toge- ther, and upon our return in the evening the hounds had their dinner always before I had mine. In those days a good dinner had little attractions for me, and I made a point of never dining out on my own hunting days, or allowing my host to wait din- ner on my account. Arrived at the place of meeting, the first to make his appear- ance was an aged divine, mounted upon a clever and powerful horse, well fitted for the country, and the weight he had to carry over, or rather through it. The reverend gentleman was one of the old school — a good scholar, excellent preacher, of gentle- manly manners ; in short, Factus ad unguem homo, but quite orthodox. Attached to his old theories, and, as a matter of course, a zealous defender of Mr. Slowman, _ his pack, and all the rest of tlie family of Sloes or Slows — either will do — as though, strange it may appear, hlack seemed the prevailing colour in this country, even to top-boots — the tops, I mean — coats and inexpressibles no exception. Mr. Slowman's red coat, or rather originally of that colour, had assumed from long wear the appearance of a dark purple, his boot-tops had received so many dashes from the blacking-brush, that you coukl scarcely tell where the tops ended, or the legs began. His inexpres- sibles, of dark corduroy when new, had now followed suit, and, with the assistance of dirt and grease, had become of a most sombre hue. The hounds, too, were nearly all dark colours also, and the whippers-in as to costume quite on a par with their leader. The country was dirty enough, and taking them altogether, men, horses, and hounds, the most dark looking lot I had ever met with. They had, however, their merits — the HORSES AND HOUNDS. 187 men knew their business, as they had been rather a long time at it, and the hounds were the finest and cleverest I had ever seen. All they required was another huntsman. After the salutations of the morning had passed, my reverend friend (who was a good judge of hounds) began scanning my pack over, casting certain lowering looks at the whippers-in, who were rather dandies in their way, and not at all suited to his taste. The hounds, he remarked, were a fairish lot to look at, but not to be compared to their pack; this I, of course, admitted. He then observed that we should find this a dif- ferent country to our own, and must not expect to kill many foxes. " No doubt, sir, we have everything against us, but I hope you will not be able to laugh at us when we leave you." I then asked him a few questions about the coverts we had to draw, foxes, &c., and their line of running, to all of which he gave me every information in his power, but with a sneering manner, which plainly said, " You are no favourite with me." This I of course expected : we all like our own things best, and I little thought to make a convert of one who was a stickler for the old school. As soon as our field had assembled, which was a large one for that country, all wishing to have a look at the strangers, we proceeded to business, by going to the extreme point of all the coverts, and drawing homewards. After trying some_ small straggling copses, we came to a pretty grassy covert, lying on the side of a hill, where we found Mr. Slyboots at home, and when he had just taken a canter round the place, hewent away at once, and I guessed from his style of going that it might be some time before we should see him again. The day was not a very favourable one for scent, but we followed pretty closely in his wake for about forty minutes into some large woodlands, where there was every p,robability of our changing foxes ; but my whippers-in being both young and active fellows, with a tolerable share of sense, knew their business too well to attend to any halloos in such a case, and although there were other foxes soon on foot, and every one pronounced, of course, to be the hunted one, for no other reason except that he happened to be seen, yet we contrived to hold on our line without waver- ing, and were soon through this large covert, and once more away over the open ; fallows and flints, in almost unvaried suc- cession, presenting themselves to our unwelcome vision, with a green wheat-field occasionally giving us a lifting hand to cheer us on our way. Running hard over such a country, with an indifferent scent, was out of the question. We were at last brought to in a piece ot turnips, not far from 188 HORSES AND HOUNDS. a sheep-fold, where the hounds for a moment or two threw up. Observing a shepherd at a short distance, I despatched the whipper-in to know whether he had seen the fox, and what had happened, in the mean time allowing the hounds to have their own way. Something I could see was amiss. The whipper-in galloped back, and told me the shepherd had seen the fox, which had come very near to where he was, with a rabbit in his mouth. *' A rabbit in his mouth, Jim 1 nonsense." — " 'Tis true enough, sir; the shepherd showed me the rabbit, which he took away from him." — "We will hear more of this presently — which way went the foxf " Forward, sir." The check was explained, and holding the hounds about a hundred yards in advance, they settled down again to the scent, and dashed through the turnip field. Jim now came up, and gave me the shepherd's story about the rabbit. He said he saw the fox coming through the turnips towards where he was standing with something in his mouth. The turnips being high, he was not seen by Mr. Slyboots (whose attention was most likely directed to what was passing in his rear) ; that upon the fox coming nearer to him, he first threw his crook at him, but he would not drop the rabbit : he then set his dog after him ; the fox, showing fight, dropped the rabbit, which therefore fell to the shepherd's lot. This accounted for our hounds coming to a sudden check where the dog had hustled the fox. Nothing will so soon baffle a good pack of hounds as such an occurrence ; they at once detect that some- thing is wrong, and will not go on with the scent where a dog has been chasing the fox. Many such cases have happened to me, and I always hold the hounds on until they take to the line again freely. Jim's story about the shepherd and rabbit bothered me not a little. " Can all this be true, Jim ?" I said. " O yes, sir, I sup- pose it is : it looks all right, but the foxes must be cool hands in this part of the world to carry their dinner about with 'em in that brazen sort of a way. I don't half like this gentleman we're after, sir ; he'll beat us, I am afraid, yet ; but there is one thing in our favour, he don't seem much in a hurry at present, and lucky for us, as we can't make more than a canter of it, over these glass bottles." " Never mind, Jim, we will take it patiently a little longer, until we are off these heavy ploughed lands ; and as I see some hills in the distance straight before us, I think we shall mend our pace when we reach them." Our fox was a traveller, and kept steadily on over a large tract of land, small woods or hedgerows intervening occasionally, until, to my great delight, we had left the glass bottles, as Jim called them, behind us, and came right upon the open down. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 189 Here was a change indeed ! The fresh breezes of the hill were as refreshing to ourselves and horses as the soft turf was de- lightful to our hounds' bruised feet. A wonderful change came over us all — the scent improved, the hounds began to mend their pace immediately. An old sportsman coming up remarked that our fox, being now on the hills, was certainly making his point for another large covert in the vale beyond. '* What dis- tance is it, may I ask, and in what direction f " Four or five miles away, and straight before you ; you will soon see it. Skirting a patch of gorse, where our friend Slyboots had waited a little (perhaps to try and catch another rabbit), the hounds suddenly threw up their heads, down went their sterns, and away they rattled, as hard as their legs could carry them. We could now see the large covert in the distance. " Jim," I said, " get forward as fast as you can to that wood yonder, straight as a line, and cut him off from entering it, if you can. If he gains that wood, he beats us; there are many foxes there, and we are sure to change." Jim was off like a shot to his point. Descending the hill, he caught sight of the fox taking a circuit round its base, and, with his cap pointing in that direction, he hallooed out, "Yonder he goes, but I'll beat him." Away spurred Jim, cracking his whip as he went, with his head turned towards the fox, and his cap sometimes held high in the air, as much as to say "We shall have him now." Cheering the hounds with my well-known cry when our fox was sinking (and wdiich was always a peculiar one at such a crisis), their hackles rose, and the race began in earnest. We rattled on for a couple of miles or so over the open, when, viewing the fox running hard for the ploughed land again, with his head now straight for the large covert, which we were rapidly approaching, I saw the time was come for a last effort. Eiding, therefore, to the head of the hounds, cap in hand, with a short tally-ho or two, of which they w^ell knew the meaning, their heads were up in an instant for the rush, and catching sight of poor Slyboots, they ran into him at the first hedge we came to, off the down, and killed him up against an ash tree. All who were up expressed themselves highly gratified at the run ; but the sporting divine, who had been thundering along on his big brown horse at a certain distance, was not in the best humour with our stealing such a quick march upon old Sly- boots: so he said, "I suppose you call that fox-hunting?' " Something like it, I should imagine," was my reply. " But, pray, sir, what may you be pleased to call it T " I call it, sir, fox murdering !" " Very well," I said, " every man to his taste, but I can give you chapter and verse for my proceedings 190 HORSES AND HOUNDS. Beckford, who is considered pretty good authority, says, ' that a lair fox-hunter and a foolish one are synonymous terms,' " laying a stress upon the foolish, at which the old gentleman winced a bit ; " but," I added, " I am sorry you are not satisfied. For myself, I can only say that stratagems are fair in fox-hunting as well as in war; and, having had a pretty good dose of your ploughed lands and woodlands, I considered myself quite justi- fied in winding up the affair, just in the nick of time, before reaching that small coppice before us, looking like a hundred acres, at least." CHAPTER XXX Instead of a treatise on the art of catcliing foxes, I give an account of some runs in Mr. Slowonan's country — His pack of hounds — Helping them to a fox, not a vixen. Fox-hunting, although very exciting and exhilarating in the field, is a dry subject to write upon ; and I therefore think it may be more acceptable, instead of labouring to produce a trea- tise, to give an account of different runs which have occurred to myself, and how they have been brought to a favourable issue — without the pretension of affirming that every one should do likewise. I do not by any means presume to set myself up as a paragon of perfection ; but this I may say, that I have had long experience in everything relating to the noble science, and if success is any proof of merit, I may lay some claim to it. In my last chapter I was guilty of what an old sportsman was pleased to designate as murdering a fox, that is, taking an un- fair advantage of him. It is quite true that I did take an unfair advantage of him, by lifting the hounds off their noses to a view ; but that great authority, Beckford, says, " That hounds which will not bear lifting, are not worth keeping, and that it is fair to take advantage of any circumstance, in certain cases, which will bring you on better terms with your fox." Now, had I been in my own country, which was short of game, the probability is that I should have left the hounds entirely to themselves ; but here the case was widely different. The country I was then hunting was really overstocked with, foxes, except the outskirts, to which I was often sent, as in this instance ; but then we ran back into the heart of the country, where I knew the chances were sadly against our catching the hunted fox. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 191 ft e had, fortunately, escaped this trial early in the run through some large woodlands ; and, knowing the large covert to which we were running to be full of foxes also, I adopted the only course which, under such circumstances, I could pursue, with credit; to myself and satisfaction to the hounds, which latter, by-the-bye, were always my first consideration. A pack of fox-hounds, like an army flushed with success, with confidence in their leader, will carry everything before them. I always fought for the hounds, and, by keeping them in blood and good heart, they always expected success to crown their efforts; and I never felt any anxiety on their account. Liberties, such as the one above related, I sometimes took with them ; but they were too good to be spoilt by a dash of this kind. With the exception of my reverend enemy, who was a great admirer of Mr. Slowman, all the field were delighted at the off-hand style in which we finished Mr. Slyboots, and pro- nounced it the best thing they had ever seen. " That's your way, sir," said a sporting farmer, " never mind an old croaker or two — we are overrun with foxes, which I don't care much about, but I like to see some of 'em brought to hand. Will you be out to-morrow again V " No, my friend, that's Mr. Slowman's day; but Friday I shall be at Burton Gate, and hope you will come and see us pull down another." " Ay, that I wdll," said the farmer, " and a few more of us as well." Jim returned home in high glee, with his fox's head, much to the annoyance of ^Mr. Slowman, who was quite crestfallen at our continued success. In the evening my host reflected bitterly on the bad sport they had experienced with his hounds, which he said he had been assured were the best pack in Eng- land, and for which he had paid a large price, having only that season taken to the whole establishment. " Your hounds," I said, " are everything a man can wish for ; in appearance very superior to my own, and equally good in other respects— if not better ; and to satisfy you that I mean what I say, I will give you the same price for them which you have given, if you like to resign the country at the end of the season." " Well," he said, *' I am sick to death of this bad work, and the country too, and you shall have them." " Agreed, then, if you are in earnest." "Quite so," he replied. "Then," I said, "they are mine." "Will you go out with us to-morrow f "By all means," was my answer, "as I shall now feel an interest in the hounds, and we will have a fox, if I am not mistaken ; and Jim shall go also." Mr. Slowman, I should have remarked, had not killed one fox for the last month. My host did not wish to give offence to 192 HORSES AXD HOUNDS. the old gentlemen of the country, by interfering ^\dth their huntsman, wlio had lived there many years with his predecessor, and was a great favourite with them ; and therefore begged I would let him have his own way. " Don't be uneasy on our account," I replied. " Jim and myself will only be amateurs to-morrow, and perhaps may take a lesson out of Mr. Slowman's book; but if we see the hounds likely to be beaten again — (they are now, of course, out of heart already from want of blood) — you must excuse us if we do just step in towards the end of the day, and turn the tide, should it be in our power. You may depend upon our silence and orderly conduct up to this point." Sending for Jim, I gave my orders for the next day about the horses, and that he was to go also. I could see how pleased he was with this arrangement. Mr. Slowman was rather nervous in the morning, having, I think, taken an over-dose of aqua vitce the night before, and possibly a trifle of hot-and-hot after breakfast. He had the character of sacrificing pretty largely at the altar of Bacchus ; but running a fox over the mahogany and over the open are very distinct affairs ; and he Avho does the first very well will generally fail in the other. No man can drink hard and work hard. I knew two sporting characters once, who kept a pack of scratch hounds, which would run any- thing, from a rabbit to a red deer, and, when no game was to be found, sometimes a red herring — anything for a gallop. These worthies could not ride over a fence without being well primed at starting with strong brandy and water. They would then go at anything ; but as soon as the powder was out, they were all abroad, and could not go on without fresh priming at some public-house — nerves they had none. Mr. Slowman having marshalled his pack, we all rode on quietly together to the place of meeting, about five miles from the kennel, my attention being occupied with the hounds, in looking them well over, and asking their names. The fixture being a favourite one, we had a good muster ; but I observed that dark colours preponderated over scarlet. My reverend friend appeared pleased to see me accompanying his old favourite, and perhaps flattered himself I was come out to take a lesson, and mend my ways. He was fated to be wofully deceived ; but of that anon. We soon commenced drawing some pretty coverts, not far from the road side. The hounds spread well over the stuff, and in about ten minutes a loud tongue was heard — a fox, of course — the hounds being prover- bially steady. The body soon got together, and rattled their fox merrily through the underwood ; and, after a turn or two HORSES AND HOUNDS. 193 round the covert, away we went over the open, Mr. Slowman blowing his horn furiously, and dashing forward on his favourite steed, with a triumphant look at me, as much as to say, " That's the way to do business !" My friend, riding up, was also in high glee. " What do you think of this?" " All right," I said, " as to Act No. 1 — quite perfection." " Well, I am glad you think so." The pace was good for the first twenty minutes ; the hounds ran well together, and seemed bent on mischief, when we came to a small covert, in which was a fresh fox. Here we changed, but their whipper-in not being quite quick enough to the further point, where he ought to have been, could not tell what had happened ; had he been at his post, he would have seen the hunted fox going away. In this small place we jolted about for a few minutes, and then back again to nearly the same coverts we had first found in. We did not hang here long, but went away once more over the open to some large woodlands. Several foxes were now on foot, and Mr. Slowman had plenty of work cut out for himself and assistants. Jim took care to be always near me, as I had told him in the morning we would, if we could see an opportunity, take the game out of Mr. Slowman's hands, and help the hounds to a fox, somehow or other, when he had tried his hand long enough. We kept badgering about this big wood for nearly two hours. The hounds beginning to flag, Mr. Slowman's confidence was nearly oozing out, and his voice becoming exceedingly croaky and ominous of what was to happen ; the horn put into requisition pretty often to keep the hounds together, but there was no energy in the huntsman, and no activity in his men ; they all api)eared thinking more of their dinner than the fox, A good pack of hounds, out of blood, will and may do all the first part of their business, to outward appearances, perfectly. They may draw well and steadily, find their fox handsomely, and run him for some time sharply ; but a keen observer will soon detect a w^ant of ardour and resolution, which gradually increases, until their hunting amounts almost to indifierence. Such was the case now ; they were beaten in spirits. Mr. Slow- man passed me occasionally, and the last time I remarked, " Your hounds are nearly beaten." " Beaten, sir ; no, not that ; they will run till midnight, but the scent is getting very bad." My host presented a very elongated visage, saying, "This is always the way ; we shall be here till dark." " Not I for one," I exclaimed ; " for if you don't let me and Jim knock over one of these dodging brutes of Ibxes, and Mr. Slowman too, into the bargain, if he comes in our way, I shall go home in half an o 194' HORSES AND HOUNDS. hour." " Give him half an hour longer, and then I don't care : pitch into the lot, if you like. I will get out of the way of the slow coaches, for I see there will be a row, and I shall be lectured pretty well by our friend on the brown horse." Lookers-on generally see the most of a fight, and Jim and I had been watching the proceedings like a brace of fresh grey- hounds, impatient of the slips. We had ridden all over the covert, to see the ins and outs, and know the colours of the dif- ferent riders to a T — that is, the foxes. They were all of the bull-dog species, small and dark : but there w^as one^ much darker than the others, and slower in his movements ; in fact, the fox we had been rumiing in the morning. Taking Jim with nie in the drives, I pointed out to him this fox, as he crossed over two or three times. " That's our man, Jim, when we begin the row ; mark him well, and don't make a mistake." " All right, sir ; but what am I to say to J\Ir. Slowman when he pitches into me, which he will do to a certainty ?" " Say you must help him a bit, as he seems nearly tired." I liad been with the hounds, whispering a word or two in their ears occasionally, when, time being up by my watch, I posted myself where the fox crossed, drew my horn quietly out, and, upon my dark friend making his appearance, with a shrill blast or two, and a scream which made him jump again, I com- menced business. Jim was behind the hounds, ready for the signal. " Hark, halloo," cried Jim, " to him, my lads — get away !" and, hustling them away, down they came, crashing through the underwood, all alive. Cap in hand, I cheered them over the drive, with " Have at him again !" and, riding with them, they set to work in right good earnest, and we made the welkin ring again. " What's all this row ?" exclaimed one of the field. " Oh, I know," replied the sporting divine, " those two mad fellows have got hold of the hounds." " So much the better," quoth his neighbour ; " variety is rather charming upon such an occasion, and charming music they are making just now." Old Slowman looked as black as thunder, and said, " 'Twas not fair play." " Fair or foul," I said, " I don't care ; for I have your master's permission, and the hounds shall have a fox to-day, or I am out of my reckoning." What to do he did not know ; if he went home he would have the laugh against him, and he knew he was no favourite with his present master. He tried to get the hounds away to another fox, but Jim and I stuck so close to them, that he could not do it. The under-whip, who had come from a fast country, and disliked Mr. Slowman, readily joined in the fray. " That's right, Jack," I said, " you'll make a huntsman another day." The fox. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 195 not relisliing the new state of things, tried the outskirts of the covert, and in a few minutes broke away over a piece of old pasture, witli the vale below us, and some water meadows. One short and sharp scream brougiit them all out, Jim and Jack too. " Where's his point now, Jack ]" " Over the water, sir, I think, to those woods on the opposite side." " He can't do it, and save his brush." "He'll try for it, sir," was Jack's reply, "as there is a head of earths there, and they are ojyen, worse luck.'''' " Then be off. Jack, like a shot, to the eartlis ; cram the spurs in, and go straight as a bird — never mind a cold bath." " Never fear, sir, I'll do it, and be there before him." " Now, Jim, keep where you are, this side on the hill ; ride opposite to us, and mind he don't get back into that thundering big wood again, for I sus- pect he will turn yet." These orders were given in much less time than I am writing them ; and away we went with two young dashing farmers, who had joined us down the hill, close to the hounds, who now find- ing some turf under their feet, streamed away like a flock of pigeons. " That will do, my lads," I cried, in high excitement j " forward, away ! — good-bye to Slowman and Co." Turning to my companions, I asked what sort of bottom there was in the river below. " You can't jump it, sir," said one, " and it's deep ; but there is a ford about half a mile up, where we cross over." " That wont suit me just now, my friends ; where the hounds go I follow\" " But you wont swim that river, sir?" " Wont I, though ; come and see." " Well," he said, " it is awkward work across those water meadows to begin with, but, sink or swim, you shan't go alone this time, for you are one of the right sort, to my thinking." " Come along, then ;" and bang we went over a bullfincher into the soft slush on the other side. Scrambling through the^e peaty meadows, however, was no joke, and our boots and buckskins were the colour of Mr. Slow- man's very soon. The river side was nearly approached, when, in_ an osier bed on its banks, the fox suddenly changed his mind, and, instead of taking to the water, turned up the osier bed, and ran by its side. " I am not sorry for that move," said my companion ; " my teeth began to chatter at the very thought of it." " Oh," I said, " a little washing would have made us look like decent people again. Cold water don't agree with me, but if we catch this old fox, the chances are I shall treat myself to a little hot ivith, softer dinner, and," I added, "you shall have his brush to stir your bowl with." Fortunately for my friend, the osier bed declined gradually from the river, and the fox, holding to its shelter from view, ran the whole length, and we soon found ourselves on terra irma 02 196 HORSES A^"D HOUNDS. once more, running up tlie vale tlirougli a few grass fields. The liounds were now pressing hard for their game, and at this moment the field, who had been cofi'ee-housing on the other side of the covert when we slipped away, came rattling down the hill side at various points, and the racket they made kept the fox for some time from turning back in that direction. We ran thus for a couple of miles, straight up the valley, Jim riding parallel with us along the ridge. Old Slowman and others cut in at right angles, to take the lead out of our hands, but he could not keep his ground — lOst. and a thorough-bred were not to be beaten quite so easily, and the fencing we encountered was more in our usual line of business than his, althougli he rode hard enough, and with vengeance just then, to get — to use a vulgar expression — the fat out of the fire. The crushing, groaning, and straining through these heavy enclosures was tremendous ; with an occasional dash of damson-pie, which I heard going on behind me. All this was highly amusing, as I kept steadily on, determined not to be beaten. The household brigade were soon far in the rear. When we got up to our fox in a thick hedgerow, the hounds did not see him, as he jumped out behind them, but I did. The scream I uttered brought them to in a minute, and up the hill we went, heads up and sterns down, with anotlier big wood before us. Now, Jim, I thought, we shall barely do it, if you are in the wrong place. I \}Vii spurs to my horse for a last effort, when Jim's welcome cry rang in my ears — " Tally-ho ! here he comes !" Shriek after shriek followed, and down came Jim, with the fox before him, right in among the leading hounds. The " whoo-whoop !" he uttered might have been heard in the next town. The reins instantly dropped upon my horse's neck, and I then walked leisurely in. Jim's attitude was highly pic- turesque. On the top of a hillock he stood, with his cap in his right hand, and the fox in his left, held high over his head — the hounds, some lying, others baying around him. His screams must have struck terror into poor old Slowman's heart, who was making the best fight he could still uj) the hill, to be there or thereabouts. The ceremony of dividing this dainty morsel among the eager and expectant hounds was delayed to give all the field who remained an opportunity of being in at — what they had not seen for a month before — the death of the fox. Most of them laughed, and thought it a capital joke, my taking the cards into my own hands in this way, but others of the orthodox school looked anything but pleased at the slip I had given them in the big wood, and thought I was taking great liberties. My HORSES AND HOUNDS. 197 reverend friend slowly approaclied with a conntenance snur enough to turn new milk. " A pretty way of doing things," I heard him sneeringly remark, " mobbing and riding foxes to death in this manner, with other people's hounds too. He might spoil his own if he liked, and welcome, but I am sur- prised Mr. allows his pack to be treated so." " Without my friend's permission, sir," I replied, rather angrily, " I should not have taken such a liberty. His hounds wanted blood, and I have killed a fox for them, that is all. For myself, I do not come into this country to be taught lessons in fox-hunting. Little as I do know, I shall not take a leaf out of your book, at any rate. Give me the fox, Jim. Now, gentlemen, if you please, just let us have a little elbow room, as these poor hounds are craving to taste a bit of fox once more." Upon Jim handing me tlie fox, the old gentleman said aloud, " A heavy vixen, poor brute !" and walked away. My hackles were up at this unfair accusation. " Come here, Jim," I said ; " take these tokens (cutting them out, and wrapping them in a piece of paper before the field) to that gentleman, with my com- pliments," Jim hesitated. " Do as I bid you, instantly, sir," I added. Following my snarling enemy, he overtook him in a body of his friends, and taking off his cap, respectfully said, "Master's compliments, Mr. , and hopes you will be now satisfied this donH belong to a vixen''' His friends could not restrain their laughter at James's demure but wicked look, as he tendered his crec/e?t)!i«/s. Out it came, "Ha! ha! ha! capital! he has you now, doctor." The old gentleman was furious, but Jim skipped back in a trice to assist at the orgies. So much for ]Mr. Slowman's day. CHAPTER XXXI. Eeputation tIiroiirtnnate fox being stifled in the bag before his arrival. As misfortunes seldom come singly, it so happened that we were from home the day this fox was brought, and the man fell in with my father, who soon discovered the truth, but said nothing about it until after dinner, when he remarked. " I think you young gentlemen ex- pected a present to-day from Oxford." It was no use denying it, for we saw the mischief in his eye. Einging the bell, he desired the footman to bring in the bag which had arrived, and to our horror Thomas soon made his appearance with the bag in question, out of which he drew one of the finest greyhound foxes I had ever seen, dead and stifl". " Well, my boys," said the governor, " you intended to play me a trick, but the tables are turned, and I have only to impress upon your minds, that if ever you attempt to make the hounds run after a fox, they will then become a lot of curs, and, as such, I will not keep them another week." Although there were no fox-hounds in our country, my father never would allow his hounds to change from their own legitimate game, and after-experience has taught me that he was perfectly right. CHAPTER XLIII Advantages of hare-liunting in some respects over fox-liunting — deduction of expenses in fox-himtin^ establisliuients to meet the times — Mr. Yeatman and his pack of harriers — ^Uufair prejudices against hare-hunting — A random shot at fox-hanters — LiberaUty the true spirit of fox-hunters — Liberal game-preservers^The Squire of C*****n — Foxes do not live upon game only — Letter from an old fox-hunter — Artful keepers turning down foxes when the hounds meet to draw then* preserves — Way to detect such practices. Haee-hiin^ting has some advantages over fox-hunting. The expenses attending it are trifling ; you can select days best suited to sport without gi%dng ofience, or causing inconvenience to others. If the day you have appointed turns out boisterous, you can go out the next. There is no earth-stopping to be done, therefore one day will do as vrell as another. Harriers also cannot be worked too much in reason. You can select also your own hour, and make your amusement subservient to other en- gagements or avocations. For these reasons I should prefer HORSES AND HOUNDS. 283 keeping harriers to fox-hounds, as so many inconveniences and responsibilities are attached to the latter in the present day. The constajit changes which are taking place annually, almost, in fox-hunting establishments, prove that the system is carried out too far ; and as the resources of country gentlemen are now so much reduced, my firm impression is, that fox-hunting must be brought down to its proper level, and conducted upon a much more economical footing to suit these free-trade times. No doubt, in the best countries, where there is no lack of friends and supporters, the thing will be carried on as usual, and, also, where there is a rich man at the head of the establishment, who is a thorough sportsman. But in many of the provincial countries, where the establishment is dependent upon subscrip- tions raised by the neighbouring gentry, the fifties and five-and- twenties must dwindle down to half that amount ; and there is a good cause for it, when landlords are called upon to lower their rents ten, twenty, and thirty per cent. We are told by free-traders that everything is cheaper. It may be to the fundholder and money maker, but the landlord and farmer still pay dearer than ever. He buys his cloth cheaper, but he loses in the price of wool. Cheap bread is no very great advantage, when he loses ten shillings on his sack of wheat, and so on in proportion. He may buy, it is true, a smart- looking silk hat for 12s. or 14s., where he used to give 25s. for a beaver ; but there is no economy in this, as one good beaver would wear out half a dozen of these flimsy concerns. So, to meet the times, fewer servants must be kept, a less number of horses, and, if they cannot let their land, the squires must farm themselves, make their own bread and cheese, kill their own mutton, substitute strong beer after dinner for port wine, and cherry brandy for maraschino. Those who can club together to have a little amusement in the dead months must keep a few couples of hounds each, the pack being assembled on hunting mornings by sound of horn, as in the olden time, and the old earthstopper on his pony re-established to do the work of the hunt. To this pass that things will soon come in the corn- growing districts is my humble opinion. I hope I may be deceived. Harriers, perhaps, will then be more in the ascendant, as the Game-laws will go next, and hares become just plentiful enough for this pastime only. Fox-hounds are all the rage in the pre- sent day, and thistle-whippers, as they are facetiously called, scarcely dare show their names in print. There are some few, however, who have still the hardihood to parade their little dogs before the public in the columns of BeWs Life, and at the 284 HORSES AND HOUNDS. head of the list stands the worthy master of the B.V.H.. who, taking him all in all, may be considered as the ]\Ieynell of his day in the harrier line. Mr. Yeatman certainly stands confessed as the leading and most brilliant star in his profession, and by all accounts, his pack must be quite perfection. They are, I am told, all thorough-bred fox-hounds, standing from twenty to twenty-one inches in height, with good legs and feet ; and, if we are to judge by the runs we sometimes see recorded in BelVs Life, they are as clever in their performances as they are in their appearance. I still must think, however, that thorough- bred fox-hounds are more than a match for the timid hare ; and I should prefer the cross I have named above, not because they have better noses, but because they have less speed and are less flighty. Fox-hounds always require to be kept above their work ; but that is not the case with harriers — the more work they have the better they will be. If fed on good old oatmeal, and well treated, they will hunt three days a week. There is seldom a complaint in any country of having too many foxes ; they are easily dispersed ; but too many hares are almost fatal to sport with harriers. They will not disperse and shift their quarters like foxes ; and you will be running and changing all day long, until the hounds are disgusted. I have seen greyhounds so over-coursed and bewildered with many hares that they came to a stand, and would not attempt to race after another hare ; and this, I think, would be the case with a pack of harriers, where game was too plentiful. To run two or three good hares down in a day is sufficient entertainment for man, horse, and liound, particularly as we are not to make a serious business of it. In these days, good hare-hunting countries are become scarce ; the hattue men repudiate them on one side, and the numerous packs of fox-hounds snub them on the other ; so that our poor friends, the thistle-whippers, have a very poor chance for their amusement. There is certainly a prejudice against harriers, and I think a very unfounded and unjust one. Where they are well conducted, with a real gentleman sportsman as their owner, they cannot materially, if at all, interfere with either fox- hunting or game-preserving; but it must be admitted that a pack of curs, with anything but a gentleman at their head, is a perfect nuisance in any country hunted by fox-hounds. When I kept fox-hounds there were two packs of harriers in my country; but their owners were gentlemen, and became par- ticular friends of my own, and they never in any way interfered with our sport. But there was also, at the extreme point of HORSES AXD HOUNDS. 285 OTir country, a scratcli pack of curs, with a cur manager as well, wliicli were my abomination. They were perpetually at some imderhand work, running into my fox coverts on purpose ; that is, pretending to run a hare there, and then finding a fox; buying up foxes to turn out on the sly, and disturbing the country the day before the fox-liounds were appointed to meet there. Such tricks as these give rise to and perpetuate the dislike which is often found to prevail with masters of fox- hounds against harriers. But where each man legitimately follows his own calling, these prejudices should not exist. There is plenty of room in this land of liberty for every man to follow his own pursuits, without infringing upon the rights of another. Fox-hunting is all very well in its way ; so is hare-hunting ; so also is game-preserving ; neither is there any reason or just cause why fox-hunters, hare-hunters, and game-preservers should not co-exist in the same country, and be upon the best terms, as neighbours ought to be. Our friends of the trigger must not suppose that fox-hunters wish by any means to inter- fere with their just prerogative in preserving game ; they are, I hoxje, too liberal-minded to be either envious or jealous of others amusing themselves as they may think proper after another fashion. All they ask is, that as they have no wish to inter- rupt their sport, so game-preservers will act in the same spirit of forbearance towards them, and not interfere with their amusement by allowing their keepers to kill their game. Surely this is no very great favour after all, and if one fox can afford so much amusement to more than a hundred of his neighbours, the illiberality of any game-preserver who destroys foxes cannot be very questionable. A double-barrel was fired in BelVs Life ^ short time since at illiberal fox-hiuiters and lohining farmers by a random shot, who fancies, perhaps, he has peppered us a little, and if we don't like it, we are to be treated to a bite of the steel traps to settle us — ^that is, if we are 7iastij ; but our friend of the trigger is, I dare say, a very nice young man, who possibly may keep tame rabbits, as well as tame pheasants, and amuse himself in various other innocent recreations. I think, however, he has gone a little -wide of the mark, in endeavouring to tax fox-hunters with illiherality and nastiness. These gentle appellations properly belong to fox-killing game-preservers, and to them only. We plead not guilty to this soft impeachment. The very spirit of fox-hunting is antagonistic to illiberality. We follow a pursuit in which all alike may join witbout let or hindrance, and the more amusement we can afiord to the many, or the million, if 286 HORSES AND HOUNDS. you like it, the greater our gratification. Selfishness forms no part of our profession. A master of fox-hounds does not say, Odi profanum vidgus et arceo, but welcome all alike, from the peer to the peasant. He does not ask game-preservers to spare foxes for his own gratification, but for the amusement of the country generally. A master of fox-hounds is a public servant, and as such it is incumbent upon him to conciliate, as much as possible, those with whom conciliation will avail ; but it is no proof of illi- berality on his part, if, after fair remonstrances have failed, he is obliged to denounce some who are selfishly endeavouring to mar the very object it is his business constantly to keep in view — the sport of the community at large. All large game- preservers are not necessarily fox destroyers ; but, on the con- trary, many of them are our best friends and supporters, and we are neitlier unmindful of, nor ungrateful for, their generous assistance to our cause. To this fact the experience of every master of hounds in every country will bear testimony. In my own countiy, when I kept fox-hounds, one of our very best friends was a large game-preserver. He was no fox-hunter himself, seldom mounting; a horse ; but he was a strict pre- server of foxes, and I will say no man was more generally respected throughout the whole country. He not only patron- ized the hounds, but one of our fixtures, and the most popular of all, was on the lawn in front of his house. To this place pf meeting men from other haunts would flock with alacrity, in well-founded expectation of a good fox and a good day's sport. His house was open on these occasions to all of our illiberal cloth, and a glass of jumping powder freely offered to those who liked to avail themselves of his hospitality. Were we fox- hunters insensible to such acts of kindness and liberality, or did they not call forth corresponding feelings on our part ? I will venture to say there was not one true-hearted fox-hunter among us all, including the whining ia^rmers, as well, who would not have gone through fire and water to serve this gentleman or any of his family. There were no large woodlands here to draw ; the coverts were all small — in fact, mere spinneys. Upon the lawn might be seen from two to three hundred pheasants called together in the morning by the keeper to be fed, and upon that lawn, with all these pheasants and hares almost innumerable, have I found a litter of cubs, and hunted them on foot among the laurels. In one season I found eight foxes in this gentleman's preserves, and killed seven of them, all with good runs. I state these facts to prove that foxes and game can exist together, and that HORSES AND HOUNDS. 287 we fox-hunters are not illiberal or foolish, enough to abuse all game-preservers in a mass, many of whom we acknowledge to be not only our best, but most disinterested friends. Let all lovers of the trigger imitate the worthy example of the Squire of C n. I have not selected him as a solitary instance of joint game and fox-preserving in the whole of our country, there were many others who followed his example, but they were proprietors of fox-coverts, which this gentleman was not — he had no such thing as a real fox covert upon the whole of his property. The jjlaces we found foxes in were small plantations of hr and alder of about three or four acres, none exceeding ten, and I should not have had any just cause of complaint had I drawn such places, season after season, without finding a fox. blasters of hounds know tolerably well where they ought to find foxes — in coverts natural to them, and where from time immemorial they have been known always to resort ; but when we find them in small spinneys such as these were, we feel a double obligation to men, who thus go out of their way to cater for the public amusement. This gentleman turned down young foxes in these places (when there were none bred on the spot) among all his host of hares and pheasants, and made his keepers feed them with rabbits. We honour and respect men of such public spirited feelings as these, to whom all honour is due. But wliy are we to spare game-preservers of a different class, who spare neither us nor our foxes ? We will not admit that foxes are fed by the game-preserver, and him only. We know that a stray hare or wounded pheasant may occasionally be purloined from a great man's preserves by Mr. Reynard, and small blame to him for so doing ; but we know also that a fox feeds upon rabbits, mice, beetles, and other such small fry, and that he does sometimes pay a visit to a farm-yard if it lies in his beat, and carry away a fowl from a poor ■whining farmer ^ who, after all, does not make half so much fuss about a couple or two of chickens as his wealthy landlord does about a j^altry cock pheasant. There may possibly be a question whether pheasants ought to be considered as ferce naturae. In the manner they are now reared and preserved my opinion is that they are not ; but there can be no question as to a fox being an animal ferce naturce. He is here to-day and gone to-morrow. W e may find him in a game-preserve it is true, but as he will run eight or ten miles straight away in another locality, it would puzzle even the Poor-law Commissioners to assign him his proper place of settlement ; and I think a game-preserver has made an equally 288 HORSES AND HOUNDS. wide shot in asserting that a fox is supplied from his victualling department alone. Some game-preservers appear to me to be labouring under an attack of foxoj)hob la, which has infected their whole system, and look u})on Mr. Wiley as a rampant and roaring lion, walk- ing about their preserves from morning till night, with his mouth wide open, seeking how many pheasants and hares he can devour; or perhaps they recollect a certain funny little picture which excited their particular attention when children, in which a fox is represented as sitting under a tree with his mouth open, expecting a cock which is perched on the top, to fall into it as a matter of course. They should have seen also the answer put into the mouth of this said cock by a wag to this polite invitation to fall into the fox's open jaws and be eaten — " / tvish you may get it."" Pheasants are at roost when foxes begin their evening rambles, and few would suppose a fox such an ass as to sit under a tree half the night with his mouth wide open in the vague expectation of a pheasant drop- ping into it. A letter has been forwarded to me, signed " An Old Fox- hunter," part of which I will transcribe, although it may be cal- culated to draw forth another shot from Mr. Ramrod : — " I have at this moment in my eye a keeper of this descrip- tion ; the fellow sometimes shows a litter of cubs the first time the hounds draw his coverts, but after that, if hounds run into them, or draw them unexpectedly, there is no more symptoms of a fox than if the animal had never existed. Let the fixture be somewhere for the express purpose of drawing this man's coverts, and there is scarcely a more sure find within the pre- cincts of the hunt ; no danger of changing foxes, however — no second fox. Now, really, as a matter of curiosity, I shall be greatly obliged if ' Scrutator' will do me the favour to enlighten me as to this fellow's plan of operations. We don't hear of his importing foxes by the rail ; in the old coaching days (for I have known him long) he did not have them down by those conveyances. Does he borrow a fox of his neighbour *? does he drag them to his coverts % if he did, we should sometimes find a brace of foxes on his ground. Does he bottle, or rather barn his foxes, like a good liousekeeper, ' for use when wanted ? In fact, what does he do T The trick practised by this old artful keeper is a stale one to me, as I have often known it adopted by these velveteen gentry. From the facts above stated, there can be very little doubt that this man is a regular fox-destroyer, and the more dangerous because he is apparently a fox-preserver, He attempts to HORSES AND HOUNDS. 289 disarm suspicion, and with the majority of men who go out hunting, his plan succeeds. A master of hounds is almost puz- zled how to deal with him, although he may be satisfied in his own mind of his malpractices. You cannot assert that he kills foxes, without proof positive ; you may hint your suspicions to the master or the man, but you are met, in limine, with the retort courteous, "What just cause of complaint have you? whenever the coverts are drawn there is a fox." There is your answer. _ You have, in fact, nothing to say. Your only plan is to be quiet, watch him carefully, and you will catch him out. From the description given of this man's coverts, and the fact ol there being a litter of cubs occasionally bred there, I should suppose them to be a natural resort of foxes, and such being the case, he has no occasion to employ railroads or stage coaches to convey them to his locality. They come there without having their passage paid, willingly and uninvited, perhaps, although we are aware of certain drugs, by which foxes may be drawn to a certain spot, even from long distances. This dodge possibly may be practised in this instance, although it strikes me as an unnecessary one. The country around being regularly hunted by hounds, foxes will resort to this man's coverts for quietude, if not attracted there by game, and few have an idea of the num- ber of foxes disposed of in one season by an old and skilful keeper so situated. There are many ways of catching foxes without injuring them : and if there is in addition a head of earths on the ground, here is a live trap at once ready made to his hand. I should not be surprised if this man destroys from ten to fifteen brace of foxes in a season. He will keep one always in reserve for the hounds against their drawing his coverts, selecting the freshest and last caught or least injured. This fox will be carefully concealed in some out-of-the-way place, and let loose the same morning the hounds are expected. This being done, the keeper puts on a bold face, and goes to meet the hounds, in apparently the most cordial manner. If asked about foxes, he will demurely say, " I think you will find, sir, in our coverts this morning •" or he may complain, as some do, " of being eaten up with foxes." The huntsman and hounds are the most likely to find out this old gentleman in his tricks. Let the former carefully observe the hehavimir of his old hounds, when the fox \^ found, and also when he is hilled ; for they will tell him to a certainty whether the fox has been handled or not. Let the pads also, the brush and neck, be well examined before he is given to the hounds. The fox being turned down perhaps two or three hours before the hounds arrive, will have had time to roll himself, and become u 290 HORSES AND HOUNDS. tolerably fresh and sweet, so that he may deceive all except the old hounds, master, huntsman, wliips, and the whole field. Upon these occasions the keeper or his assistants will be the first, per- haps, to halloo the fox. They sometimes overshoot the mark in their eagerness. I suspect a fox found by a keeper, and not hy the hounds, having been played these tricks myself, but I always found them out. I was once drawing a ticklish place of this sort, where I knew foxes were trapped regularly, when in the middle of a large covert, the keeper began hallooing and screaming in a bye drive. We were down with him in a twinkling. " Well," I said, " what's all that clatter about ?" " Fox just crossed over the ride, sir, where you are standing." The hounds were on the spot, but they would not own the scent ; the old ones looked up instead of putting their noses down. "Very odd," said the man, " the hounds wont hunt the fox, Mdien I seed him only a few minutes ago in that very place." " My hounds," I replied, " tell me that the fox you just now saw came out of your pocket, or a bag which is now hid under a stoul in that high wood, and I believe them ; no tricks upon travellers will do with us." The man bundled off as soon as he could. The fox was again hallooed over another drive, where several horsemen were stationed with the master of the coverts himself; still the hounds would not settle to the scent. I at once blew my horn, and took the hounds away. An old sportsman rode directly up, and asked what I was going to do. " Do," I replied, " my hounds don't hunt bagmen. I shall draw elsewhere for a wild fox." This announcement created, as may be supposed, quite a sensation ; but turning a deaf ear to remonstrances and en- treaties alike, I left the coverts directly. I, of course, got a tolerable sprinkling of abuse, which I cared about as little for as a duck tor cold water. But I had one good stanch fox- hunting friend, who took my part behind my back. He said aloud for all to hear, " He is quite right ; I applaud him for his firmness. It was an insult to a master of fox-hounds to turn a hagman down before his hounds." I was never again treated to a bagman in those coverts, but we always found wUd foxes there afterwards — not a fux only. HORSES AND HOUNDS. 291 CHAPTER XLIV. On bag'-foxes — Scratch packs hunting them — An old fox -hunter convicting a master of harriers of his malpractices — Improving our breed of foxes — Eun with a dark-coloured fox — List of hounds on hunting days — Diai-y — Effects of bathing hounds after hunting. I EEMEMBER a bagman being exposed to view by an old fox- hunter (who was up to a dodge or two) in a very adroit manner. Upon the outskirts of a fox-hunting country there lived, and, for aught I know to the contrary, lives there still, the master of a scratch jjack of harriers. He was neither a farmer nor a cattle-dealer, nor a pork butcher, but all these combined to- gether, and a little knowledge of dog-stealing as well, consti- tuted about as recherche a character as could well lay claim to the title of sportsman, which he had the assurance to call him- self. His locale being within two miles of a large city, he was patronized by many dashing blades, ot rather equivocal pre- tensions to the name of gentlemen, and certain professionals of low standing, who, by subscribing a few pounds to support this scratch concern, passed off as hawks among these small birds, when they would not have obtained any notice at all with the fox-hounds. To cater for his patrons' amusement, this worthy master used to obtain foxes from the country of the fox-hounds, which he turned down upon the sly in some out-lying place, pretending of course that he could not ride up to stop his hounds (which was true enough) from running fox. This ex- cuse was always ready when he thought himself likely to get into hot water with any genuine fox-hunter. As, however, there were some outside spinneys, not regular fox coverts, to which fox-hounds seldom or ever went, his occasionally finding and running a fox was thought little of for some time. It was only when the thing became rather more common, and a run or two was put into print, that the suspicions of the master of the fo3f hounds and some of his field were excited, that there were more outlying foxes found by this marauder than the smaU district he laid claim to was likely to afford. It was known in well-informed circles that this hare-hunting Erofessor was not in the habit of making any wide distinction etween meum and tuum, and a pretty strong hint was given him that if such practices were continued, the limits of his country would be curtailed. The hint had the effect only of making him more cautious, by shifting his scene of action out of the precincts of the fox-hounds. U2 292 HOUSES AND HOUNDS. An old fox-lninter being resolved to catch liim out and con- vict him of hunting bag foxes, found out his next place of meeting, when they expected to have a day's sport, which was always to be known at a certain Sadler's shop in the gay city, and joined the cry. His appearance, however, was not particu- larly agreeable to the consjjirators, but things were conducted so snug that they fancied he would be outv»^itted. After pre- tending to draw for a hare over some fallows, and up a hedge row or two, they trotted off to a small covert, from which the hounds went away almost as soon as thrown in, on the other side. " Stole away," cried the professor at the top of his cracked voice ; but our old fox-hunter was soon with them, and kept his place in the foremost rank, notwithstanding the exertions of a self-styled captain, who considered himself the leader of the concern. The straight course pursued by the animal before them soon led him to surmise there was something more than a jack hare before the hounds, which opinion he openly expressed. " Oh, very likely," said the captain. " Perhaps it is a fox — there are some wild outlying ones in these parts." "And," rejoined the old fox-hunter, " I have a notion there are a few bagmen as well ; and that this is one I have very little doubt." " We don't do those things, I assure you," said the other. " Then your neighbours belie you ; but we shall soon see." In about fifty minutes the fox was run into and killed, when our old fox-hunter jumped off his horse, and appropriated the brush to himself, which having carefully examined, he held in Ms hand, until all the field came up. Last of all, the worthy master made his appearance, puffing and blowing like a gram- pus. " Well, gentlemen," he said, " we have had a capital run ; but who would have thought of finding a fox in that little place?" "Not you, I'll be sworn," exclaimed the old fox- hunter, with a sly look, " if you had not put him there first." " I put him there, sir *? I know nothing about him." " Well, then, you persist in saying that this is a wild fox, do you f " In course I do," replied the master. "Then I'll prove that to be false, any way," said the old fox-hunter; "here is the proof" — so blowing back the fur on the brush, he drew forth certain bits of oat chaff', which had worked their way down to and adhered to the dock — these he displayed to the discomfited professor and his wondering field. There were no more asser- tions made in contradiction to this damning proof. Our old fox-hunter coolly remarking, that " wild foxes did not make their kennels in corn him,'' rode off with his brush. This was a very neat way of discovering a bagman, and a hint worth attending to; but, as all bag foxes may not be put either HORSES AND HOUNLS. 293 into corn-bins or corn-sacks, these proofs may sometimes be V\'anting, There are, however, many other signs which are known to old fox-hunters. They generally run down wind, but, being ignorant of their country, have no point to make, and appear to loiter before the hounds. The scent also is too good — the hounds running wild at it. I am alluding now to bag foxes when turned down before harriers, for I am quite sure, that any good pack of fox-hounds would not run a bag-fox at all, unless hal- looed on and encouraged ; and then even they would not enjoy the scent, which is so different from that of a wild fox. I heard once of an old fox which had been caught and hunted three times in one season by a pack of harriers, and found his way home each time, having been turned loose thirty miles from the earth where he was taken. This was in " days of auld lang syne," when the fine greyhound fox was the prevailing one in this country. We are very particular in these times to have horses and hounds both of the best blood, and in first-rate con- dition, but not the slightest attention is paid to the breed of foxes, which is of rather more importance than at first sight may appear. To show sport the breed of foxes should not be overlooked so much as is generally the case, for without good foxes you cannot have good runs. The large importations of French foxes have in many hunting countries done a great deal of mischief. This little red species is quite distinct in its habits and character from the old greyhound fox, and will never show any sport at all until they are three or four years old. They seldom go far from home, and when found, eitlier hang to the coverts or make short rings, running more like hares ; neither have they the strength or power to stand long before a good pack of hounds. Many think a fox is a fox, and that every fox ought to run ; but there is as much difference almost in the breed of foxes as in the breed of dogs; and I am quite satisfied that many countries with which I am acquainted require a cross in their foxes as much as they do in their hounds. It may be asked where these greyhound foxes are to be found. Without injuring or robbing any hunt, they may be procured from the Highlands of Scotland, where numbers are annually destroyed by the hill keepers ; also from some parts of Wales, and some parts of Devonshire on the coast, where fox-hounds are not kept. They may also be imported from Germany. ^\lien I first began keep- ing fox-hounds, I obtained several young foxes of this species, and, by judicious management, they afforded excellent sport. They were turned into a head of earths in the best part of our 294 HORSES AXD HOUNDS. country, four to an earth, and there fed regularly until the month of September, when they were old enough to shift for themselves. The earths were always left open when we drew the coverts in which they had been placed, as they were intended for stock, and it was not my purpose to kill one of these foxes during their first season. They were, however, of a very ram- bling disposition, and after Christmas, we found several of them many miles from their homes. Some were unavoidably killed, but the greater part were saved by going to ground ; and thus a foundation was laid, which lasted the many years I kept hounds, and perpetuated a good, hard-running race of foxes. The second season these foxes afforded us extraordinary sport, for, being ear-marked, we knew them when brought to hand. For many seasons I continued to turn down two or three litters of these foxes, to add to the stock, treating them in the same manner as the first. I could have procured French, or the small species of red fox, at half the expense and trouble ; but, ex- cept ^ for the purpose of blooding hounds, I would have nothing to do with them. To prove how necessary it is to in- fuse fresh blood of the true sort, I may add, that since my relinquishing the country, few of this true breed now remain, having since been mixed with the red fox, and that is now the prevailing fox of the country. The true greyhound fox is of a light grey colour, bushy about the head, long in the body, and stands high upon his legs. The bulldog fox is the next in size — of a reddish grey, and common in most fox-hunting countries. These will afford good runs also ; but the greyhound breed is far superior to them in every respect. On one occasion I met with a large dark-coloured fox, with a yellow breast, instead of white, at the extreme point of our country, which ran about eighteen miles, but not straight. _We found liim on a bad scenting day, with a hot sun and keen wind, in the month of February ; running was out of the question, but we held on to him for about six miles into a large covert in the centre of our country, where we got upon better terms, and after a turn or two round the big wood, he turned his head for home again, which he nearly reached, when being headed he retraced his steps, making again for the large covert, which he was des- tined never to reach ; for waiting in a small brake we got up with him, and he was pulled down within one field of the large wood, myself, hounds, and fox, jumping the last fence together, over which we tumbled in company, a large stake having run up between my horse's shoulder and ribs, which had nearly proved fatal to him. By the application of plenty of hot water, and by keeping the wound open with a long candle, HORSES AND HOUNDS. 295 no mischief resulted but the loss of his services in the field for a few weeks. The time occupied in hunting this fox, running being out of the question, was three hours and a half, through a woodland country, with two disagreeable brooks to cross twice, and but for his waiting for us two or three times we should scarcely have overhauled him at last ; a straight running fox of the greyhound sort would have run us out of scent alto- getlier in about forty minutes. Every huntsman should take with him into the field a list of his pack for that day's hunting. This list should be entered also in a diar>^ of each day's sport, with remarks about the hounds' work ; it will be good authority to refer to at the end of the season, before the draft is made, and show the hounds which have done the most during the season, and have hunted the gTeatest number of days. A book of this description was always kept by me, in which these entries were made, and also remarks about the weather, the coverts which were dra^^Ti, the earths which were stopped, and the number of foxes found. This I found of great sers'ice at the end of the season, as it enabled me to see at once what was due to each earth-stopper, and who were entitled to any extra reward. It is the custom in some kennels to plunge the hounds into a warm bath after hunting, and to shut them up together when washed for a short time before they are fed. There are few who do not admit the efiicacy of hot water, or who have not expe- rienced the soothing effects of a warm bath after severe labour. To the human frame, with a good dry rubbing afterwards, nothing can be more refreshing, but ^^dthout this dry rubbing we all know half the efficacy would be lost. By a sudden chill or cold blast the pores of the skin, thus opened by the appli- cation of the warm water, would be suddenly checked, and more harm than good would be the result of it ; rubbing keeps up the action of the skin, and superinduces that glow over the whole frame which is so luxurious. Having tried the experi- ment with my own hounds for one entire season without any satisfactory result, I abandoned it._ The warm bath is all very well, but the difficulty lies in having the hounds rubbed tho- roughly dry afterwards, which requires much more labour and time than many suppose. To liave the tiling done thoroughly well, I attended the operation myself, with three assistants, but it occupied more than an hour to bathe and rub tolerably dry about eighteen couples of hounds, and then they were not in my opinion half dry. It is true, they assisted each other in this respect, but I never could see yet any good result from one hound licking off the 296 HORSES AND HOUNDS. dirt and hair from another's coat. It was, however, one of the fashions of that day, and, not to be considered out of the fashion, I gave it a fair trial ; but one season satisfied me that it could not be adopted as a general practice, without more injury than benefit to the hounds. Where there is a lodging-room, heated with hot air, into which the hounds may be turned after the bath, it may do very well ; but subjecting them to the cold night air, in the depth of mnter, in passing them through the courts into the greenyard, after coming out of a reeking hot bath, cannot, in my opinion, be otherwise than injurious, CHAPTER XLV. Estimates of expenses of a fox-hunting establishment — Wages, food, and allowances — Quality of land — Expenses for two days a week — Selection of hunters — Objection to "screws" — Other items of expense — Saddles, bridles, rugs, &c. — Economy may and should be observed — Reasons for leaving out of the list the farrier — The huntsman's book, or annual biU — Earth-stopping, and fees to keepers — Advantages of the old system in preventiag needless extortion — Proposals for a remedy of the evil — Opinion of Mr. Delme EadclifFe. As various estimates have been made by diiferent writers on the expenses of a fox-hunting establishment, it may not be amiss to give a rough estimate of the necessary outlay, and an- nual disbursement of a two days per week establishment. Fees to keepers, earth-stopping, and such like extras, are not included in this calculation, as they vary sa very much, according to the district, that ho one can form anything more than a wide guess as to their probable amount. The wages of servants are entirely irrespective of perquisites or field money, and therefore admit of modification, when a sure income from these resources can be reckoned on. The servants are allowed to be of first-class, but the master's individual expenses are not included, as he is supposed to keep a stud for his own amusement. The calcula- tion is made for a provincial country, where the master Imnts his own hounds, and conducts the afi'air upon a liberal scale. First Whipper-in, £80. Clothes and £ s. d. boots, £iO 90 0 0 Second do. £52. Do. do. £lO . 62 0 0 Feeder 31 0 0 £183 0 HORSES AXD HOUXDS. 297 Food for 30 couples of hounds. 12 tons of oatmeal, at £l5 per ton Flesh Fuel, at 5s. per week . Medicine for hounds . 180 36 13 10 £239 0 0 Six horses. 78 quarters of oats, at 25s. per quarter 15 tons of hay, at £3 per ton Shoeing and medicine Sadler Helper in stable, at 12s. per week Lad in do., at 6s. ... Tax upon hounds Do. on four servants . . * Do. on six horses Sundries 96 45 20 10 31 15 36 4 6 £263 0 0 685 0 0 15 0 0 £700 0 0 In this estimate everything is put down on a fair scale. The wages for first whipper-in are perhaps high for some countries. Six horses and thirty couples of hounds are sufficient to hunt at least five days a fortnight. No hunter, however, is worth keeping which cannot come out twice a week, and here each horse is allowed one day only. Two bushels of corn are allowed to every horse per week, throughout the -whole year, and hay also. To a gentleman, however, who has a farm in hand, the expenses will not amount so high, and the general produce from the land will be raised in proportion to the manure em- ployed upon it from the stable and the kennels. The bones also from the boiling-house will be of verj^ great service in pro- ducing root crops of heavy weight. In point of economy I consider a certain quantity of grass and arable land as a neces- sary appendage to a hunting establishment, if only sufficient to raise corn and hay for the horses. For this jjurpose, it is not necessary that the land should be of very first-rate quality, as 298 HORSES AND HOUNDS. the lightest soils by the aid of the stable and kennel manure (particularly the latter) will in two seasons produce most luxuriant crops both of oats and grass. It was the custom for- merly in some large establishments to have the oatmeal prepared at home, and in dear seasons having made the experiment my- self, I succeeded in having some capital meal manufactured by a neighbouring miller ; but there is a good deal of trouble to be incurred, and not very much profit ; the article, however, is genuine and free from adulteration when home made, and that goes for something in these times of spurious compounds. The outlay for two days a week will comprise six horses — four horses, at £50 each, for the servants, and two hacks, at £25, in all £250. I think these prices sufficient in a provincial country, and can only say, that some of the best horses I ever possessed cost me only £25 each, and they were quite first-rate, both as to size and breeding. Young horses of queerish tempers, or with a broken knee, are often parted with at low prices, which after being ridden one season by the whippers-in will become valuable hunters. To screws I have a great objection, and would never recommend them ; they will scarcely ever improve, and be abused by servants, as well as ridiculed by your field. There must be expended also in the purchase of hounds about £200. Saddles, bridles, rugs, &c., will cost £50 more; so that the whole outlay, independent of the annual expenses, may be computed at £500. It may be objected in the calculation I have here made, that some items are omitted, which have formed part of the budget put forth by other chancellors of the fox-hunting exchequer ; but, as retrenchment is now become the order of the day, and the strictest economy to be observed in every department of the State, masters of hounds cannot do better than follow so good an example, and sail as near to the wind as possible, consistently of course with good and efficient management. The farrier does not appear at all on my list, as I consider his place quite a sinecure in a small establishment, and there- fore it is altogether omitted. In the place of farriery may be substituted, with much more benefit to the horses, hot water and common sense, which should be extensively used, and will cost nothing. A huntsman's book, or annual bill, reckoned by some at from 80/. to 100/., is entirely excluded, as offering a premium only for imposition and negligence. From my budget of expenses, earth-stopping also and fees to keepers are left out, not because they can be dispensed with, but that every master may make his own calculation of what he intends to distribute on these HORSES AND HOUNDS. 299 accounts. The amount will vary from 100^. to 1000^., according to the country, and as it may suit his fancy to pay. It is to be hoped that the day is not far distant when every master of liounds will be relieved from this unfair drain upon his purse. Independent of the sums required to satisfy the exorbitant demands of blood-thirsty keepers, it is almost too much to ex- pect that gentlemen should be placed under the necessity of submitting to their impudent impositions. In the olden time a regular earth-stopper was appointed to do the work of the whole hunt, and if my recollection serves me, a picture of this functionary and his pony is to be found in Beckford. Tliis office could not have been abolished on account of its being a sine- cure, for the duties required are quite equal to those of a superin- tendent of police ; and I think that no hunt should be with- out a servant of this description. An active man, with a good pony, would be able to do the earth-stopping in any two-days- a-week country ; but where the country is wide, and admits of four days per week, two might be employed at a quarter the expense now incurred, and with much more satisfaction to the master of the hounds. Objections may, and probably will be, raised by game pre- servers, at the suggestion of their keepers, against this inno- vation and intrusion upon the privileges of the latter gentle- men ; but, as a regular servant of the establishment, for whose good conduct the master would of course be responsible, these objections may be obviated. The attempt, I am aware, must be delicately and cautiously made at first, but it may be done by the master representing to the different proprietors of coverts that there is no fund available for these extraordinary expenses (supposing the case to be so), and therefore it is pro- posed to revive the old system for the general welfare of the hunt, and to keep the disbursements within a more narrow compass. It must be expected that some game preservers will not fall in with this plan, but this will be of little consequence, as I feel well assured that all real well-wishers to the cause of fox-hunting will readily lend their aid in furtherance of a system, which would save their pockets and add to their amusement. A good active servant to perform this work, with the keep of a rough pony, would not cost more than 50/. per annum. His place of residence must be near the kennels to receive his orders ; and if the stopping has to be done at a dis- tance, he would have to put up at some way-side public or farm-house the previous day, to prepare for his night's work, and attend the hounds at their places of drawing the next morning. 300 HORSES AND HOUNDS. As far as it was feasible, I pursued this plan for many years with great success, but in our country, containing very few fox- hunters, as proprietors of coverts, I was of necessity thrown very much into the power of keepers, and unable to extend it throughout as a general system. I perfectly coincide with Mr. Delme Radcliffe's opinion, that " I would have the preservation of the foxes, and the stopping of the earths for hunting matters, entirely dependent upon their respective proprietors. I would have every lord of a domain make a point of enforcing his de- termination to contribute gratuitously all in his power to the noble sport." Would that this were the case ! that this con- summation, so ardently desired by every true fox-hunter, might be accomplished! but I fear such a state of harmony and mutual co-operation is reserved for the golden age. From my experience of such matters, little assistance can be expected from non-hunting men, who often think the favour sufficiently great to allow a master of hounds to draw their coverts, and rather consider it due to their servants, keepers, or woodmen, to be paid a very handsome remuneration for their extra work in earth-stopping. It is principally on this account that I have suggested the expediency of the master employing a general earth-stopper, to get rid of this annual imposition and drain on his purse ; but so tenacious are some men of their rights, " to do as they like with their own," it must be expected that some impediments would be thrown in his way. There are not w^anting in most countries men who are jealous of the fox- hounds, and instead of assisting the master, they throw every obstacle in his way ; endeavouring to increase his expenses, in the hope of driving him from the country. It is, I am con- vinced, this pressure from all quarters upon the purse of the master, which prevents gentlemen of moderate means from taking the management of hounds ; the expenses in these times are perfectly ruinous to all except a man of large fortune : and this accounts for the changes which are always going on in fox- hunting establishments. In scarcely any country are the subscriptions, even when regularly paid up, sufficient to meet the annual outgoings, and most masters have to dip their hands very deep into their own pockets, to meet the extras — which are legion. It may be urged, as recommended by some writers on Fox-hunting, why not do away with earth-stopping altogether, and thus at once cut off root and branch all expenses attendant on stopping them? This plan has been tried by other masters as well as myself; the result with others I know not, although from the practice HORSES AXD HOUNDS. 301 not being continued, I presume it has been in otlier cases, as with mine, a failure. When we can alter the nature of foxes, it may succeed, and not before. The natural home of most foxes lies in the bowels of the earth, the refuge they always seek when hunted by hounds, and the general nursery of their cubs. There are, it is true, some clay countries, where earths are less frequent, and where foxes both lie and breed above ground, but these are the exceptions to the general rule. In all soils which rest upon sand, gravel, or rock, earths abound, and foxes for generations past have been accustomed to harbour in them. Having one part of my country very much infested with fox stealers, I resolved to do away with all the earths in that locality, and accordingly having taken all due precaution in stopping them up, I kept them in this state for two or three seasons ; but I lost more foxes by poachers by this plan than the other. Earths they would and did find in less secure situations, and we often had blank days by their resorting to places which we knew nothing of. In one particular covert, which had always pre\dously held foxes, we did not find one for some time during the winter months, but on one fine day in the spring of the year, we unkennelled a leash, almost together, which went straight away, and ran to ground some miles distant, in a bank close to a large town, which we had never before heard of as containing earths ; this place also was well tarred first and then stopped. They then led us a dance to other out-of-the-way places, and finding their determination to seek refuge some- where underground, I was obliged to re-open all the main earths nearer home, and keep them continually cleared out. There were also some very favourite woods for foxes, in which were some large rock earths in the neighbouring country ; these owing to their distance from the kennels were ordered to be kept stopped during the season ; the consequence was, that few foxes were found there afterwards ; many, I am satisfied, from the carelessness of the earth-stoppers, were stopped in, and starved to death ; and others, I also know, went away to coverts belonging to a fox-killing game preserver, and there met an ignominious fate. Foxes, like cats, have an instinctive attach- ment to the places of their birth, but when continually forced from their homes, both above and below ground, will seek other abodes free from molestation. Drains, old rabbit-burrows and such places, are then resorted to, from which, when discovered, they may be more easily taken. I remember upon one occasion running a fox, after a severe chase, into an old lime-kiln, from which he was easily extracted, and whilst the hounds were kill' 302 HORSES AND HOUNDS. ing this fox, another fresh one bolted out of the same place, and strange to say, jumping over the backs of the whole pack, made his escape, without a hound seeing him, so busily were they all engaged in breaking up his companion. THE END. Savill and Edwards, Printers, Chandos-street, Covent Garden. NEW WORKS & NEW EDITIONS PUBLISHED BY GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & Co., FAEKINGDON STREET, LONDON, AND 18, BEEKMAN STREET, NEW YORK. CAPTAIN SPENCER'S LAST WORK. Price 5s., post 8vo, cloth gilt, THE FALL OF THE CRIMEA. By Captain Spencer, Author of "Turkey, Russia, Black Sea," &c. With Eight Illus- ferations. 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