On the straightest of legs and the roundest of feet,
With a fashion and fling and a form so complete,
That to see him dance over the flags is a treat.
But fashion and form without nose are in vain,
And in March or mid-winter, storm, sunshine or rain,
His fox he accounts for again and again.
With a storm in the air, with the ground like a stone,
See! Bachelor has it! Bill, let him alone!
I once heard of a man, who was walking with his dog (a crop-eared cur, with a stump10 of a tail), being asked by a passer-by, “What do you call your dog?” The owner replied, “Well, sir, he was a grey-hound, and we called him ‘Fly’, but we cropped his loogs and coot off his [Pg 83] tail and made a mastiff on him, and called him ‘Lion’.” It is a simple transformation11, but would not be applicable to a fox-hound. A fox-hound is a fox-hound, and, play what tricks you like with him, he will remain one. It might be expected that any race bred for so long to a fixed12 type and to a uniform standard of quality would show a want of individuality of character and temper, but this is not so. The disposition13, virtues14, and vices15 of every hound in a pack vary. A good huntsman knows the habits, temperament16, weaknesses, and qualities of each separate member of his kennel3. There are the bold and the timid, the too noisy and the too silent, the sulky and the quick-tempered, the affectionate and the indifferent, the meek17 and the rebellious18, the greedy and the fastidious, the quarrelsome and the kind, the [Pg 84] light-hearted and the stout-hearted. There are hounds that can drive, and hounds that can stoop; the ones that can draw, and the ones that are handy to cast. There are some that combine all these virtues, and, alas19! others that are guilty at times of babbling20, riot, skirting, and turning a deaf ear to the horn. The object of huntsmen has never been to turn their packs into mechanical fox-killers—to do so would be to drag down the kennel to the level of the steel trap and vulpicide’s gun.”
Much of the charm of hunting consists in the style, grace, and neatness in which it is done. Hunting must be a pleasure to the eye; it should be picturesque21 and in harmony with nature. The woodland or valley [Pg 85] should echo back wild music, and the huntsman’s horn and the whip’s halloo should delight the ear and warm the blood. A badly-assorted pack, of all shapes and sizes, some of which carry a head, and others with a strain of Southern blood, as line hunters, might give more sport and kill more foxes than a better and handsomer pack of hounds. They would, however, never give the same satisfaction to the huntsman with a knowledge of the craft, or to those who appreciate the rules of the game.
There is a supreme22 pleasure in watching a level pack of well-turned, straight-legged hounds exhibiting their hunting powers and quality, as they only can be exhibited under the command of a good huntsman. [Pg 86] Uniformity of pace is necessary, uniformity in size pleases the eye. The power of instilling23 into fifteen or twenty-five couple that cohesiveness24 that makes them seem possessed25, as it were, with one soul, combined with the ability to handle them, is an amazing example of man’s capacity to subordinate animal nature to his own purposes. Colour is a secondary consideration, a matter of fancy; and a good fox-hound, like a good horse and a good candidate, cannot be a bad colour. Were I an M.F.H., I should never spend my time and money in trying to make a pack all badger-pied or Belvoir tan; provided they were well-assorted in other respects, the very variety in their colours would please me. The question of utility may, in some countries, influence the colour. [Pg 87] For instance, in a moorland district, where it is often impossible to live with hounds, it will be found that a few light-coloured hounds greatly minimise the risk of losing. On a dull day, if dark-coloured hounds get away over a moor26, they may be easily lost, for they are extremely difficult to see on the heather.
To all lovers of hunting, if not to all hunting-men (and great is the difference), the animal which alone makes the chase possible is an interesting study from the moment he comes into the world. There is something that appeals to our tenderer feelings when we contemplate27 the very young, whether it be a little child or a puppy. No more cruel beasts exist than those of the cat species, from the spotted pard to the household tabby, yet few can resist the sensation of fondness for [Pg 88] the lion’s cub28, or puss’s kittens. Their helplessness as well as the beauty and jolly roundness of the little things go to our heart; and, it may be, the pity that is akin29 to love affects us, when we think of the battle of life that lies before these innocents. I confess to these sentiments when I watch the little black, white, and tan whelps lying beside the fond mother in the paddock by the kennels. How blissfully ignorant these are of the immediate30 future before them, and of what they have to go through before education fits them for their glorious calling! In a few weeks they will be taken from the sheltering care of the dam and sent to distant walks, their little sides red and sore [Pg 89] with the cruel branding-iron. Those which get through all the diseases and disasters peculiar31 to puppyhood will enjoy the happy period of freedom till the day arrives when they are brought in from their walks. Then begins the hard discipline of life. Their ears are rounded, their names have often to be relearned, they are made to submit to the severe but necessary routine of the kennel. Then comes the time when they learn, with rating and great expenditure32 of whip-cord, what “ware hare,” “ware sheep,” “ware horse,” and much else besides means,—till that supreme moment when their future is decided33, and the awful question is answered whether they are worthy34 to be entered with the chosen few, or drafted with the condemned35. Among the hounds that are [Pg 90] drafted, some will be put down as useless; others may be put aside, for failing only by the standard of height, colour, or type, and yet may be of the greatest value to other packs. At the present day the leading breeders of hounds pay most minute attention to symmetry, and cast every dog or bitch that is not straight or that does not come up to a very high standard. Many cultivate a type showing immense bone; but though a hound has legs as straight as an arrow, feet as round as a cat’s, and bone like a lion, he is useless if he has not the quality to go the pace, a nose to hunt with, and a voice that proclaims the true gospel. There is no doubt that to obtain wearing and working qualities, with uniformity of type, the safest line to follow in breeding hounds [Pg 91] for hunting is the middle size. Such hounds will be big enough to go through dirt, and not too big to draw and run in cover. Were I an M.F.H., ambitious to distinguish myself at the Peterborough Show, I confess I should be puzzled to know how to do it, for the hounds that go to Peterborough are the selected few from thousands that go to walk. It probably is within the mark to say that, over an average of years, a Master who sends out sixty to eighty couple of puppies considers that he is fortunate if, out of this number, there are ten couple that come up to the standard at which he aims. Out of these he can only hope now and again to find a couple whose merit is so evenly balanced as to give a chance of success in the show-ring; and when in a lucky year he thinks he has the prize in view, there may be the misfortune [Pg 92] of just missing the individual taste of the judges in such a matter as condition. Some judges will condemn36 hounds for being too fat, others for being too light. It may appear as absurd to favour a fat hound as it would be to back a fat horse out of training against a properly trained one. Yet it must be admitted that there are good judges, who like to see hounds fat,—why, I will not venture to say, for, with all respect to superior authority, it has always appeared to me that fat is out of place where hard work is required. It is a pitiable sight, when cub-hunting on a hot morning in August or September, to see a lot of panting suet-puddings hanging about outside the covert37; it is equally ugly to watch a lot of gorged38 dogs or bitches refusing to break up a [Pg 93] fox. Besides, after a few days of this sort of work, the fat laid on with such an expenditure of time and attention has melted away, and you have a pack even lighter39 in condition than the one which has been kept in hard flesh, carefully exercised, and made fit and keen to go straight to work.
The proper career of a fox-hound, from his birth to his death, might be described thus: I would have him bred from parents in the prime of life, that have themselves not only all the chief points of fox-hound symmetry and substance, but the tried qualities of pace, nose, and tongue; and sent to a farm walk where a hound is loved and cared for, where new milk is liberally given to the little lodger40, and liberty to play, gallop41 and hunt at his own sweet will is allowed. We all know [Pg 94] what mischief42 the fox-hound puppy, like the human puppy, is capable of; and many of us have had expensive, if entertaining, experiences of his youthful manners. We have seen our turkey hens, our peacocks, or our poultry43 the victims of his sporting proclivities44. We have seen our tablecloths45, curtains, and doormats worried and tattered46 in a manner prophetic of the style in which the miscreant47, when he grows into a hound, will treat poor Reynard; we have wrung48 our hands while he drew the flower-garden; and yet, while we have soundly rated him, we have laughed over these domestic tragedies. I love to see a wild puppy; I like to see him with a leveret in his mouth after he has tow-rowed through the pheasant covert; for I know that all his hunting [Pg 95] and worrying instincts can be controlled when he is finally enlisted49 in the ranks, but can never be put into him unless they are there to begin with. Were my pup treated as I would have him treated, he should neither be rounded nor branded. The former is all but useless, while the tattooing50 of the inside of the ear with the initial letter of the pack and the litter number, is a more humane51 and simpler, as well as a more complete and lasting52 mark than that made with the branding-iron.
When my pup arrives, I would wish to be quite clear about his name, so that he may not have to relearn it when he goes back to the kennels. This summer I saw a pup walked by a neighbour of mine, who answered [Pg 96] while at walk to the name of “Ree-Torrick,” and when he was “sent in” had, no doubt, to discover, through much rating, that his name was “Rhetoric.” On the other hand, I knew a pup called “Vagrant,” which was always called after he was entered “Vagerrant”; so, after all, we may agree with Peter Beckford’s huntsman, who evidently considered that as long as a hound answered to his name, it made no difference what he was called, for being asked the name of a young hound, he said it was “Lyman.” “Lyman?” said his master. “Why, James, what does Lyman mean?” “Lord, sir!” replied James; “what does anything mean?”
But now my pup has grown into a young hound, and has, with the help of a good constitution, a warm lodging53, and a generous diet, [Pg 97] withstood the distemper. Then the day comes when he must leave the shelter of his home, and the caressing54 care of those who have watched over his puppyhood, and go to school. As with the schoolboy, so with young Wrangler55; he will find compensation in the company of his many companions for the routine and monotony of kennel life.
Wrangler enters the kennels, receiving very much the same treatment, and being as thoroughly56 inspected, as any “new boy” ever was. For a time his stern droops57, and he feels lost and cowed; but after standing58 a certain amount of rough play, he shows his mettle59, asserts himself, and holds his own amongst the new arrivals. The strange, prisonlike [Pg 98] impression of his new quarters wears off; he begins to appreciate the cleanliness and order that guarantee all that is necessary for health and comfort; but many a time he hears his name, and often he feels the whip, before his wild nature is brought to bend to the discipline of the kennel. The summer months are at last over; Wrangler has learned to go in couples; then to pass through the sheep without thinking of mutton; and though in his heart he dearly loves the scent60 of a hare, he has had the lesson “ware hare” writ61 so distinctly on his back that there is no fear of his forgetting it. And now our hero makes his début as a fox-hound, and is blooded. The very first day he is out, curiosity and desire to see what is doing tempt62 him into the covert. He is all [Pg 99] excitement as the old hounds speak, he follows hard, and quickly learns to stoop to the new scent. The season slips by, and Wrangler has taken his place in the van. He has learned to love a scent, and he is keen in the struggle to find and proclaim it, and when the primrose63 and “stinking violets” announce that hunting days are over, he can show a few goodly scars around his youthful nose. But see him the next season, as the horses go kennel fadge to the meet, slipping along with both ends up; look at his waving stern and impatient eye during the vexing64 delay before a move is made; mark him as he races to the covert and bustles65 through the whins; hark, as with his full and musical voice he gives the delightful66 news that a fox is found; watch him as he [Pg 100] flies to the view-halloo, tops the fence, shoots right and left like a sky-rocket, till he has the line, and then bless him as he races away with his head up and stern down. “Yonder he goes,” but the pack need never a word. The loud cry sinks to that modified chorus that proclaims that it is real business, and there is Wrangler driving ahead in the first bunch. Over the grass they race, through and over the fence in the fallow, down the furrow67 Wrangler leads them, throwing now and again a full, confident note. Away they stream, and if in the excitement of the hot pursuit he flashes over the scent for a moment, one swift fling and he has it again. The field is growing thinner as the miles of grass and plough are covered, and the best pack in England would begin to [Pg 101-2] tail! But the game is over. They run from scent to view, Wrangler’s bristles68 are up, and you
may swear it’s who-hoop,
And he carries the head marching home to his soup.
And many and oftentimes will Wrangler make a run, till he, too, has, like every dog, had his day. The Master’s heart is steeled, he gives the order (who knows with what regret?), and another hound takes his place with the flying black, white, and tan!
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1
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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3
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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kennels
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| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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7
fouled
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| v.使污秽( foul的过去式和过去分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏 | |
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8
manure
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| n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥 | |
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9
muddle
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| n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱 | |
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10
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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11
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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12
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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13
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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15
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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16
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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23
instilling
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instil的现在分词 )；逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的现在分词 ) | |
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24
cohesiveness
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| n. 粘合，凝聚性 | |
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25
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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26
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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27
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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cub
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| n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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35
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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36
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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gorged
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的过去式和过去分词 )；作呕 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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41
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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42
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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43
poultry
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| n.家禽，禽肉 | |
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44
proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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tablecloths
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| n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 ) | |
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46
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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48
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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49
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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50
tattooing
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| n.刺字，文身v.刺青，文身( tattoo的现在分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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51
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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52
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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53
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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54
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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wrangler
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| n.口角者，争论者；牧马者 | |
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56
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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droops
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的名词复数 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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mettle
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| n.勇气，精神 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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61
writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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62
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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primrose
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| n.樱草，最佳部分， | |
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64
vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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bustles
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| 热闹( bustle的名词复数 )； （女裙后部的）衬垫； 撑架 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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bristles
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| 短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 ) | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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