28 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



deer were again. By many this would have been 

 beUeved, but having fortunately heard it stated 

 by one of the best sportsmen some years before, 

 that he used to hunt with Mr. Land, who kept 

 hounds at Hambledon, and hunted the forest of 

 Brere just before it was enclosed, and whose hounds 

 used to hunt both deer and fox at different seasons 

 of the year — ^that is, the deer during the summer, 

 and fox during the winter — in the same forest ; 

 and the writer has since been credibly informed 

 from others in that country that, after a week 

 or fortnight hunting fox, they were as steady to 

 fox as if they had never hunted deer, which were 

 now constantly crossing them. But it is fair and 

 right to add, that in those days this gentleman did 

 not enter so many young hounds, and these were 

 not entered till the fox-hunting season began, and of 

 course, did not hunt deer till the following summer. 

 The following is a sketch of a general cast, made 

 by the writer for many years. Although the 

 principle of it, at starting, is startling, yet few 

 succeed better, namely, that of first holding the 

 hounds the way he does not think the fox is gone. 

 Thus, when at a check and the pack have made 

 their own swing, he then holds them round to 

 the right or left, whichever is most up wind, 

 consequently this side would have been the most 

 unlikely, for they probably would not have checked 



