One of the better experiences in life is to be able to share it, on a daily basis, with another living creature. We were privileged to do so for almost a decade, from infancy at three months to the first stages of decline at nearly ten years, with one such, a dog known as a lurcher, dubbed Rolo because of his luminous brindle coat. Naturally he was much loved  but what surprised all who met him, over and above his handsome stance, his superhuman speed and that very soft and luminous coat, was the gentle temperament and his almost human capacity to love us back. So liked was he by all and so much happiness did he bring us from beginning to end, being most happy, healthy and at peace himself, that a form of tribute cannot be withheld. 

Rolo was lucky on at least two counts, having come to us as a baby rather than a reject and having the freedom of a land as yet unspoilt. Though he eventually came to a sticky end in the woods he loved so much what follows will show he had as full a life as a hound can wish for.