HUNTED WITH DRAFT HOUNDS 69 



but, on the contrary, should be fair-hunting hounds ; 

 such as love a scent, and that hunt closest on the line 

 of it : it will be necessary that some of them should 

 be good finders, and all must be steady. Thus you 

 procure for your young hounds the best instructors, 

 and at the same time prevent two evils which would 

 necessarily ensue, were they taught by the whole 

 pack — one, that of corrupting, and getting into 

 scrapes, such as are not much wiser than themselves ; 

 and the other, that of occasioning much flogging and 

 rating, which always shies and interrupts the hunting 

 of an old hound. An old hound is a sagacious 

 animal, and is not fond of trusting himself in the way 

 of an enraged whipper-in, who, as experience has 

 taught him, can flog severely, and can flog unjustly. 

 By attending to this advice, you will improve one 

 part of your pack, without prejudice to the other ; 

 while such as never separate their young hounds from 

 the old, are not likely to have any of them steady. 



You ask, at what time you should begin to enter 

 your young hounds ? that question is easily answered ; 

 for you certainly should begin with them as soon as 

 you can. The time must vary in different countries : 

 in corn countries, it may not be possible to hunt 

 till after the corn is cut ; in grass countries, you may 

 begin sooner ; and, in woodlands, you may hunt as 

 soon as you please. If you have plenty of foxes, 

 and can afford to make a sacrifice of some of them, 

 for the sake of making your young hounds steady, 

 take them first where you have least riot, putting 

 some of the steadiest of your old hounds amongst 



