SPORTSMAN 59 



or the country is too open to make it probable 

 that the fox will face it, he (the old sportsman), 

 when he reaches the cover, quietly pulls up, and 

 keeps his ear to the hounds, going on steadily ; 

 by which his horse gets his wind, the fox does 

 head, finding the earth stopped, etc., and the 

 hounds bring him round back to the old sportsman. 

 But during this whole time the hard riders have 

 been going best pace much farther than the 

 hounds, which by this time have left the cover, 

 and returning the way they came with only the 

 old one with them ; and this because he was the 

 only man who kept his ear to them. 



Nothing shows ignorance in the field so much as 

 not getting out of the way when the huntsman is 

 coming past with the hounds, particularly at a 

 check in a road. Men appear to forget that they 

 cannot hunt without the pack. If it is in a road 

 or in cover, it is most necessary, or the hounds 

 must break out of the road into the cover, and 

 possibly cross the line of another fox, and bring 

 back the rest of the pack, which the huntsman is 

 getting on. 



Most men are aware that a skirting hound is 

 considered a great enemy to sport, but a decided 

 skirting rider does almost as much mischief. It is 

 true he may say he goes out to please himself, 

 and to ride as he likes best, but he must not forget 



