He has been master of fox-hounds
ever since, and no pack in the country has yielded better sport than
his, or has brought out harder riders among the men and stronger jumpers
among the horses. Mr. Wadsworth began his hunting by picking up some of
the various trencher-fed hounds of the neighborhood, the hunting of that
period being managed on the principle of each farmer bringing to the
meet the hound or hounds he happened to possess, and appearing on foot
or horseback as his fancy dictated. Having gotten together some of these
native hounds and started fox-hunting in localities where the ground
was so open as to necessitate following the chase on horseback, Mr.
Wadsworth imported a number of dogs from the best English kennels. He
found these to be much faster than the American dogs and more accustomed
to work together, but less enduring, and without such good noses. The
American hounds were very obstinate and self-willed. Each wished to work
out the trail for himself. But once found, they would puzzle it out, no
matter how cold, and would follow it if necessary for a day and night.
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