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in and enter himself answerable to His Majesty's law, as is most convenient. . . . and that you see that slough dogs be provided according to our former directions, as this note to this warrant annexed particularly sets down.

The slough dogs to be provided and kept at the charge of the inhabitants, were as follows:

Beyond Eske, there is to be kept at the foot of the Sarke one dog; by the inhabitants the inside of the Sarke to Richmond Clugh, to be kept at the Moate one dog; by the inhabitants of the parish of Arthured, above Richmond's Clugh with the Bayliffe and Blackquarter, to be kept at Baliehead one dog.

Without quoting the whole of the warrant, it may be stated that six other "slough dogs" were ordered to be provided and kept at the expense of the following parishes, one dog in each: Newcastle, Stapleton, Irdington; Lanercost and Walton; Kirklington, Scaleby, Houghton, and Rickarby; and Westlinton; Roucliff, Etterby, Staunton, Stanix and Cargo, to be kept at Roucliff.

No doubt there was considerable difficulty in obtaining the levy or tax from the inhabitants to keep these hounds in condition fit to run down a man, and not hungry enough to eat him when they had caught him. In case of refusal to pay their dues to the sheriff or bailiffs appointed to collect the same, the defaulters were to be put into gaol till the amount due was forthcoming. It would be quite

interesting to note whether such imprisonment was ever enforced. Whether this was so or not, I have not found any record to show, but it was said that the hounds proved very useful for the purpose for which they were provided.

The utilisation of bloodhounds in the above manner did not escape the notice of Sir Walter Scott. A King of Scotland, Robert Bruce, threw hounds off his track by wading down stream, and thus without touching the river bank contriving to ensconce himself, squirrel-like, in a tree. The great Wallace, too, was so sorely pressed by sleuth hounds that to save himself he slew a companion whom he suspected, so when the creatures came up, they remained with the dead man whilst the living one escaped. Later the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth, who sought concealment in a ditch, after his defeat by the Royal troops at Sedgemoor, was discovered in his ignoble position by bloodhounds. Happily this was the last battle fought on English ground, and it seems strange that its cause, "King" Monmouth, should be so captured by means of a British hound. In 1795, two hundred bloodhounds were, under British auspices, landed in Jamaica for the purpose of subduing a rising of the Maroons. Fortunately this canine importation struck such terror in the hearts of the rebels that they at

once laid down their arms and the war came to an end.

However, long before Sedgemoor and the time of the border forays the bloodhound was used in this country. Gratius Faliscus, and Strabo, about the Christian era, mentioned the importation of dogs of this kind from Britain to Gaul, and Oppian immortalises in verse the Agassæos for their exquisite power of scent and great courage. These big dogs were obtained from Britain for the ignoble purposes of war. Afterwards they came to be used for hunting the stag and other large game, and from them are no doubt descended many of the fine hounds, still to be found in the possession of our Gallic cousins.

Dame Juliana Berners, writing in her "Book of St. Albans," published in 1486, does not appear to mention the bloodhound, or sleuth hound, but the Lemor or Lymer is no doubt the same dog, and so called because it ran the line of scent, and not, as it has been asserted, because it was the custom to run it in a leash. Dr. Keyes (1570), mentions them as having lips of large size, and ears of no small length. The learned doctor tells us how these hounds ought to be chained up in the daytime in dark places, so that they become bolder and more courageous in following the felon in the "solitary hours of dark

ness.' "" He likewise describes them as being run. in a leash which is held in the hand of the man in charge of the dogs. This was to enable the huntsman, shall I call him, to be up with the hounds when his services would be required. It seems from the same writer, that, in addition to hunting the footsteps of the felon, these dogs were also trained to hunt the cattle that might have been stolen, a purpose for which he says they were much used on the borders. This may have been so or not, most likely the latter, for a drove of stolen cattle would be easy enough to track without the aid of a keen scenting "slough dog," though he might be able to be of assistance, should the thief be ambitious to try the strength and powers of his would-be captor.

From that period down to the present time, the bloodhound was mostly kept as a companion, and only occasionally has he been trained to manhunting," to the terror of the poacher and the evildoer. For the latter purpose, he has repeatedly proved of great service, and many stories are told of the extraordinary power a skilful hound may possess, in its faculty for sticking to the old scent, however it may have been crossed and re-crossed by either man or beast. Colonel Huldman mentions the capture of some poachers through the instrumentality of bloodhounds, who hunted the men fully

for five miles from the plantation, in which they were committing their depredations. Another case is mentioned, where a sheep-stealer was discovered by similar means, though the hound was not laid on the man's track until his scent was at least six hours old. Another hound is said to have hunted for twenty miles a fellow who was suspected of having cut off the ears of one of his former master's horses, and the scoundrel was captured and treated according to his deserts.

The Field had the following not long ago:

In 1854 Tom Finkle, an old superintendent of police, was stationed at Bedale, in Yorkshire, before the rural force was established. He was the owner of a bloodhound named Voltigeur. Old Tom was fond of company, and at that time sat for many a night in the public-houses along with the farmers and tradesmen. When he was wanted for anything particular at the police station, Mrs. Finkle would let Voltigeur loose with, "Go and fetch master," and, no matter where "master" was, either in Bedale or the neighbourhood, the hound was sure to find him; and the moment Finkle saw Voltigeur, the old superintendent knew he was required at the station.

In the winter of 1854, or early in 1855, certain burglars broke into a house at Askew, and stole a quantity of silver plate and linen. The burglars, heard by the inmates of the house, had to decamp rather hurriedly, and a messenger was immediately sent to the police station to report the outrage. Old Tom was, as usual, with his companions at the Royal Oak, whilst his wife was in bed. The latter immediately got up and turned Voltigeur loose, with the order, "Go and fetch master." The hound was not long in doing his duty, and Tom, jumping off his seat, said to his

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