HUNTING THE FOX. 55 



hounds, turn your horse's head the way they are going, get out 

 of their track, and let them pass by you. In dry weather, and 

 particularly in heathy countries, foxes will run the roads. If 

 gentlemen at such times will ride close upon the hounds, they 

 may drive them miles without any scent. High mettled fox- 

 hounds are seldom inclined to stop whilst horses are close at theiT 

 heels. No one should ever ride in a direction which, if persisted 

 in, would carry him amongst the hounds, unless he be at a great 

 distance behind them. 



The first moment that hounds are at fault is a critical one for 

 the sport people, who should then be very attentive. Those who 

 look forward may perhaps see the fox, or the running of sheep, 

 or the pursuit of crows, may give them some tidings of him 

 Those who listen may sometimes take a hint which way he is 

 gone from the chattering of a magpie ; or perhaps be at certainty 

 from a distant halloo ; nothing that can give any intelligence at 

 such a time ought to be neglected. 



Gentlemen are too apt t') ride all together : were they to spread 

 more, they might sometimes be of service ; particularly those 

 who, from a knowledge of the sport, keep down the wind; it 

 would then be difficult for either hounds or fox to escape their 

 observation. You should, however, be cautious how you go to a 

 halloo. The halloo itself must in a great measure direct you ; 

 and though it afford no certain rule, yet you may frequently guess 

 whether it can be depended upon or not. 



At the sowing time, when boys are keeping off the birds, you 

 will sometimes be deceived by their halloo ; so that it is best, 

 when you are in doubt, to send a whipper-in to knuw ihe cer- 

 tainty of the matter. Hounds ought not to be cast so long as they 

 are able to hunt. It is a common idea, that a hunted fox never 

 stops ; but Mr. Beckford informs us that he has known them stop 

 even in wheel-ruts in the middle of a down, and get up in the 

 middle of the hounds. The greatest danger of losing a fox is at 

 the first finding him, and when he is sinking; at both which 

 times he will run short, and the eagerness of the hounds will fre 

 ^uently carry them beyond the scent. 



