74 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



originated from men who had an occasional day 

 with the Quorn, and were either too badly mounted 

 or had not the ability to ride in the front rank. 

 They would then return to their provincial packs, 

 and speak in an authoritative voice of what they 

 had never been in a position to see. Jealousy 

 would seize eagerly on such baseless information, 

 and use it in the endeavour to belittle the art of 

 an acknowledged master of his craft. I think 

 the silly idea that a run with the Quorn was fre- 

 quently only a gallop after Firr, must have had its 

 birth in one of his marvellous casts. 



If a fox had evidently got a long way ahead, 

 and with a moderate scent there appeared every 

 likelihood of the gap growing wider, he would catch 

 hold of the pack and make a forward cast of 

 perhaps half a mile to a mile. In making these 

 casts he would ride straight across country to the 

 point he expected to get on terms with his fox again, 

 and it was very seldom that he did not succeed in 

 hitting off the line. I can imagine the visitor and 

 what he would say on seeing Firr with his pack 

 behind him, sailing over a succession of big fences. 



It may perhaps have been quite true that on 

 these occasions the bulk of the field and those who 

 are content to ride across country with only the 

 back of the man in front to guide them, never 

 realized that hounds were not running. 



When, however, a fox had been hustled suffici- 

 ently to make it reasonable to expect he would be 

 getting tired, Firr would never willingly relinquish 

 pursuit, and would bring him to hand in the end. 



The art of a huntsman is in knowing when to 

 lift hounds and when to let them hunt. You may 



