The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-11

his coat before showing me around.
The day was warm, and l was
surprised to find that SO hardy an
individual should need wrapping
up" but while waited took the oppor-
tunIty of observing my surroundings I
was standing in a prettlly wooded pad
dock, round which were dotted on one side
the creeper-covered cottages of the
whips" and huntsmen, while the build
ings reserved for the canine inhabitants
stretched along a second. As l stood
there horse was led by to his doom, and
l could not suppress sigh to see him go
ing so unconsciOusly to his death. But |
was soon reioined by Mr.. Harvey, wear
ing long white coat down to his heels.
The reason of his wrapping up" soon be-
came apparent. When entering the ken
nels he is so overwhelmed with the affec-
tionate attentions Of the hounds that, but
for the protection OF his white twill coat,
his clothes would be ruined every time he
pays them visit. As | accompanied him
into the kennels I was irresistibly
reminded of the founding hospital,
where the school rooms and dormi-
tories of the girls occupy one wing
of the house, and those of the boys that on
the opposite side and where the play
grounds are divided by broad drive. We
entered one of the cages and were in
stantly surrounded by the hounds, who
were divided between their sense of duti-
full obedience to the voice of the whip, who
ordered them inside. and their desire to
be caressed by the huntsman. A few de-
cided words of command, however, sent
them bounding into their house, and it
was amusing to watch the frantic efforts
of three or four to pass together through a
hole only large enough TO admit one at a
time. The big doors were thrown open TO
allow us to enter, and from the playground
we went into fair-sized room about forty
four feet square. with the 'dormitory" at
one end. This consists of raised dais
spread with straw, which forms quite
cosy bed for the many hounds. The whole
place is tiled and looks delightfully."- fresh
and clean; indeed, had l seen it with
out its inhabitants, / should have
fancied it part of a dairy. The
kennels across the way are identical in
every particular and, after a moments in
spection, We passed on to the dining hall.
Suddenly. the hounds broke forth into a
long. low wall. 1t was not bowling nor
barking nor braying, but was a wierdly
musical cry. The note was taken up by
the hounds in the other kennels until the
air was full of the sound. / turned in
the query In my expression. said: They
are only singing" 'Snging?" | oues-
toned, and then he told me that the
hounds have habit of singing" several
times during the day, always in the early
morning and evening and often once or
twice between whites. They generally sing
for about ten minutes IL is quite pretty
sound, very unlike their deep-mouthed
baying. We waited to hear them finish
their song and then passed on. The
hounds had already taken their daily
meal. which is carefully superintendent
by those who attend them and who take
great deal more care that each has
enough and not too much than does
many public schoolmaster. The food
was already preparing for the next days
meal. for the porridge-which forms an
important item of their diet and which is
made OF the best oatmeal-is always soaked
for twenty-four hours before it Is consld-
s!dered properly dressed. The troughs
reach the length of the room, the porridge
being placed IN one and the broth and
meat in another. Next | was taken to the
kitchen. where the meat boils continu-
ously for twenty-four hours and where the
porridge is also cooked IN huge coppers six
feet high and four teet III diameter, while
huge slabs of Yesterdays brew cool In
wide-open wooden baths. The hounds
are fed at 10 o'clock every morning except
ing the DAYS when they are going TO hunt;
on these occasions they go out without
breaking their fast Ii the run is a very
long one and Mr.. Harvey finds they will
not get home until quite late, he buys
three or four gallons of bread, and, max
ing it into sop with water di-
vides il among them, but under
ordinary circumstances they get no food
until they return home, having tasted for
thirty-four hours. Beyond the kitchen IS
the store room, where several huge sacks
of meal give one faint idea of the amount
consumed by the fortyliive couples which
comprise her maiesty's pack of buck
hounds, and here, TOO. is a veritabie stack
of boxes containing the government bis
cults, which form a staple article OF food