into thick cover before we had approached him near enough to make it worth while to fire.

In the hopes of intercepting our friend we now separated; and the manœuvre so far succeeded, that Elg very shortly afterwards got a tolerable shot through an opening in the brake; but the hind quarters of the beast were towards the man, so that, though the bullet told, as was shown by a few drops of blood visible in the snow, it did not perceptibly retard his onward progress.

From the very constant doublings of the bear, he was evidently much distressed, and had the ground been at all open, we should soon have run him down; or even had the dogs performed their duty properly, the chase would have been brought to a rapid conclusion; but what with the loose state of the snow, and the fatigue from previous exertions, they were not of any essential service to us on this occasion.

Nevertheless, we had several transient views of the beast, but, from the denseness of the underwood, were only enabled to fire once, and then at random, and I believe ineffectually, for it did not appear in any manner to embarrass his retreat.

During the pursuit the bear showed no disposition to turn upon us, though this might have arisen from our never having been in very close proximity; or that he took the dogs rather than ourselves, as I have at times known to happen, to be the aggressors.

A further description of this run would be as tedious to the reader as the actual chase was to ourselves. I shall therefore cut the story short by saying that we kept up the pursuit until the evening, when, finding that instead of gaining on the bear he was fast going ahead of us, it was deemed best to desist for the time, and to retrace our steps to Hällsby, whence we had started in the morning, where, wearied and disheartened, we arrived long after nightfall.

The following day turned out wet and stormy, and, as nothing could for the moment be done with the bears, I left Elg to see after them, and returned to Brunsholm, temporary quarters then occupied by me, which were at a distance of near twenty miles.

A day or two subsequently, word was brought me to Brunsholm that Elg had succeeded in ringing all the beasts. The single one in the same line of country whence he had been originally started; the three, six or seven miles still farther to the eastward, and near to a small lake called Kalf-sjön.

But as the thaw, accompanied by much wind and rain, still continued, I remained for awhile at home. In a few days, however, the heavens assumed a more favourable aspect, and promised a speedy change for the better, when I rejoined my man.

We passed the night at the hamlet, and on the following morning, at an early hour, took the field for the purpose of attacking the single

bear.

(To be concluded in our next.)

A PEEP INTO PEMBROKESHIRE.

BY WINESOUR.

are"

Early in the spring is the season for hunting, after all, when days grow longer, and the scent warmer; when foxes are wilder, and hounds, and horses too, are just beginning to find out what hard work it is to kill them; when you're not obliged, like "Dick the shepherd," to "blow your nail" before you can hold your bridle; when "ways no longer" foul," and you may sometimes find yourself at the cover's side without antigropaloes or wet feet to be sure it may happen that in going there you've no more time to spare in March than earlier in the season, as one still finds a few masters of hounds who think they ought to be regulated by the sun; and, just as if, like the Irishman's blanket, they were losing at one end of the day what they are gaining at the other, advertise" half-past ten" instead of "eleven, though they save nothing by the change. This is a great mistake. If hounds don't meet early enough to cross the drag of a fox who has recently come home, and perhaps full, from his nightly travels-and none do so now-a-days-it is quite unimportant whether they begin to draw at eleven or twelve o'clock. If Reynard has had a plentiful supper, and to spare, he's safe enough under ground till a late hour. If he has fed moderately, he's out and about all day, and fit for a run, only you must find him first; and that you may do at one time nearly as well as at another. We can safely advise, therefore, all huntsmen not to hurry themselves of a morning because the " season is getting late" let them take their time: there is a disagreeable interval before dinner, and they will get no equivalent for lengthening it. So much for early meets.

Well, it was early in March, when, as good luck would have it, my way (no matter how it so happened) lay into Pembrokeshire. Though to many foxhunters a terra incognita, 'twas not so altogether to me; at any rate" I had heard of runs there, and I longed to follow to the field. The fact is, too, I was tired of my quarters in the neighbouring county. There's a pack of hounds there to be sure; but such hills, such bogs, that if you don't break your hunter's neck, you do his heart, and that's as bad for the time; and then you hear of bagmen-I don't mean in gigs and wonder why you always find so suddenly; and then you remember that you certainly "winded" him along the road as you were coming to cover. In short, as I said, I was tired of it; and resolving that while in Pembrokeshire I would satisfy myself whether what I had heard of the sport there was true, sent on before a couple of horses. The country, as I discovered, is hunted by two regular packs, and pretty equally divided between them; besides which there are several packs of harriers, which, by the way, are reported not to be very staunch to their proper game. There is also another on the north-east side of the county, kept by William Powell, Esq., of Mas

gwynne; but this I had not the advantage of seeing. I heard, however, that they had been showing good sport this winter; but like some others in the principality, had not had much attention paid to them in breeding. No doubt it is quite possible to have good runs with half-bred hounds; so it is to be well carried on a half-bred horse; but that is in spite of the want of breeding, not in consequence of it. In ladies, horses, and dogs of all kinds, a wise man will always provide himself with the best bred ones he can find; provided they have power enough to do their work. They are stouter, faster, and much more easily taught their duties. If this be not so, why is it that we are apt to attribute excellence to high breeding? Surely this is not a fallacy in which the world has been involved so many years!

Trefgarn Wood was the first meet in Pembrokeshire for which I was in time. This is in the country belonging to L. Phillips, Esq.; and is about six miles to the north of the old, though twice that distance from the present kennels. The morning was fine, and the display of scarlet coats very creditable indeed. To my eye, the horses, both of the servants and the gentlemen, looked somewhat undersized (that may have been on comparison with my own roan on which I was mounted) though in other respects the turn-out was decidedly good. I remarked a very clever bay gelding, which the head-whip was riding-he was hunting the hounds on this day-and also a likely-looking animal, rather out of condition, under the second whip; a largish, well-bred, brown, which seemed not to carry his saddle quite in the proper place. The master, Mr. Phillips, usually acts as his own huntsman; but he has been for some time placed hors de combat by a severe illness, and so his first whip supplied his place. Mr. Phillips keeps, I understand, about thirty couple of hounds; several of them from Warwickshire, some from Irish packs. I observed a great disparity between the dogs and bitches in size; the former looking heavier and larger, and apparently ill-matched in pace with the latter. We had no run worth speaking of all day. There were plenty of foxes; but the woods were so large that it was impossible to make them break. Still there was a good opportunity of seeing how business was conducted; and it must be admitted that we have never witnessed more patience or more exertion than was displayed by the huntsman, Griffiths. Whether there was a kill or not late in the day I do not know, as I left early, thinking it hopeless.

Woodstock was the next fixture; drew all day blank: no doubt foxes all under ground.

Holyland Gate, two days after, to meet Mr. Allen's pack; and as sporting a little pack it is as ever was seen. Nothing superfluous either in number (indeed, there are too few) or size; but they looked, as I believe they are, recently compiled, and selected with a good deal of judgment. As I had not an opportunity of seeing either Mr. Allen's or Mr. Phillips' kennels, I can only speak of their hounds as they appeared in the field; and certainly of the former I should say that among them might be found about eight couple which would be ornaments anywhere. They are smaller, and rather more even in size than their neighbours, and much lighter on their legs; which gives them a very decided advantage. Both Mr. Allen and Mr. Phillips hunt at their own sole expense; and, if the sport which I saw with their hounds be

a fair average, long may they live and be inclined to continue it. We found immediately. A strange squeak or whimper by a hedge-row called up a cheer for "Rosamond ;" and at once, without any preparation, we were all dashing away over their Pembrokeshire banks at a pace which could not last more than twenty minutes. Indeed, but a few seemed to wish it should; for not more than five managed to creep away beyond the first or second road we had to cross. A short check near a church favoured the rear at last and not less than a dozen, pinks and blacks, were up when we ran into poor Reynard on the cliffs near Tenby. This would have been a most excellent run in any country in the world; and I am very glad to bear my testimony to the able performances of the riders. There were five chesnuts, all going well (two heavily weighted); Mr. Allen, as well as Mr. Phillips, hunts his own hounds. One whip turns them to him; and we were surprised to see so much done by the latter with such ill-looking materials as his horse seemed to be made of. I was glad, too, to see two ladies at the cover side. They were reported to be regular attendants, and good horsewomen; but the run this day was too severe and fast for any but leathers, and well-made leathers too.

Mr. Phillips, the following Monday, at Withybush, once the residence of that hero of Wales, Sir Thomas Picton; a short distance from Haverfordwest, where were my head-quarters. Rather a cold day, and windy; which is apt to make the hounds wild, as the scent gets carried far out of the fox's line. We had, in spite of it, a good run. Found in a plantation, with drains so deep intersecting it that getting away in a hurry was dangerous. This threw most of us a little into the back-ground, but we soon managed to catch the hounds; and, after two short checks, ran to ground near a village about six miles to the north. The hunts. man, Griffiths, did his work very well. He seems to want confidence in his own judgment; and for that reason is undecided for a moment, when the hounds are at fault, on which wheel to turn them for a cast. It is probable that this arises from his having hunted a pack of harriers belonging to an old military gentleman in the county before he was taken to his present post: with them, of course, time was no object, as you are pretty sure to run into your hare sooner or later with a good scent; but with a fox it's quite another thing, especially where the country is short, as it is in Pembrokeshire. There is another reason, too, which may account for this seeming indecision of the huntsman. When the master is away, it always must I suppose, at least it always does happen that there are a great many advisers; and a servant requires no little moral courage to cast his hounds according to his own judgment, when he sees that it is opposed to that of gentlemen near him who are not remiss in giving their opinions; but it must be done. We assume that the huntsman is in his proper place when the hounds throw up. If he is, he should always back his own judgment, be it good or bad, and instantly act accordingly; remembering, of course, that there are certain rules with which every one who has hounds to hunt is supposed to be conversant: for example, never to cast back till you have cast forward, a-head of the line in which the fox has been running; and never to cast your hounds at all until you observe them throw their heads up; then don't lose an instant; and then is the time for the whip to make himself useful, while all the riders stand still in their places;

besides many other rules, which are almost elementary. If these hints of a stranger were to meet the eye or ear of Griffiths, as is not very likely, and were acted upon by him, we make no doubt he would turn out a most efficient performer. But we are wide of our run; which, as we said, was a very good run. The bitches, as far as I could see, had the best of it, as the weight, or, as some call it, bone of the dogs, came decidedly against them as we streamed away over some fine grass meadows about the middle of the run. Indeed it was almost possible to distinguish the dogs from the bitches by their action; the former, with their heavier chests and larger limbs, galloping higher than the others, as is invariably the case, and more especially when they begin to show fatigue. "Twenty-three inches and plenty of sinew," as a veteran sportsman used to say; but not a word about bone. I was rather surprised that we did not try for another fox; as it was, we came home, and joyfully thought of the morrow, when we met, for the second time,

He

Mr. Allen, at Norchard. A good field out, and found immediately. I never saw hounds with better dash without being wild. Ran him about half an hour; and killed within two miles of the find, as I was told (for I had fairly lost my whereabouts). One military gentleman in pink, and one hound, soon found us another fox. Mr. Allen had gone home; and so the whip had very nearly the credit of a second kill, when a hole in a rock saved Reynard for another run. This said whip is evidently a beginner; and was exercising his lungs when all occasion for it was long past. I rode homewards for nearly a mile with him ; and, though he had accounted for all his pack, he was whooping and blowing to them as if it was one perpetual breaking cover. seemed, however, a civil fellow, and I daresay did it for his own amusement; at the same time it should be added, it is not very likely to do much good to the hounds. This was my second and last day with Mr. Allen. He certainly has a most capital little pack; too little, certainly, but that's a fault that may be mended; and, provided he has judgment in breeding, I make no doubt it may be done without going out of his own kennel. It is worthy of remark, that, unlike Mr. Phillips', his dogs are not inferior to his bitches; indeed, two or three of the latter were, in the run the last day, soon out-paced, but they were not good specimens, and will, I should think, probably be pensioned off after this

season.

Broadway, the following Thursday, was to be my finale. Mr. Phillips met there at ten! Fifteen miles from home, too! His man, Griffiths, as before, officiated for him. We had a beautiful find in a plantation on the side of a hill. Ran across the London road, through woods belonging to the Baron de Rutzen (a thorough sportsman, and breeder of horses), across Lord Milford's park, and lost at Bolston. Though part was fast, it was principally a hunting run; and showed the hounds to much advantage. Griffiths, on an old steeple-chaser, was in his place throughout; and I do not believe it was from any fault of his that we did not kill. Losses will happen in hunting as in other things. Happy the man who can bear them patiently and try again. But there was great excuse on this day. The fox ran round a gentleman's house when dead beat-young men and maidens all rushed out, he and she servants, terriers and a large Newfoundland, all were for having a hand