THE HUNTSMAN AND WHIPPER-IN 107 



keep) oftener need the one than the other ; and genius, 

 which, in a whipper-in, if attended by obedience, his 

 first requisite, can do no hurt — in a huntsman is a 

 dangerous, though a desirable, quality ; and if not 

 accompanied with a large share of prudence, and, I 

 may say, humility, will oftentimes spoil your sport, 

 and hurt your hounds. A gentleman told me, that he 

 heard the famous Will Dean, when his hounds were 

 running hard in a line with Daventry, from whence 

 they were at that time many miles distant, swear ex- 

 ceedingly at the whipper-in, saying, " What business 

 have you here?" The man was amazed at the question. 

 " Why, don't you knoiv," said he, " and be d — d to you, 

 that the great earth at Daventry is open?" The 

 man got forward, and reached the earth just time 

 enough to see the fox go in. If, therefore, whippers-in 

 be left at liberty to act as they shall think right, they 

 are much less confined than the huntsman himself, 

 who must follow his hounds ; and, consequently, they 

 have greater scope to exert their genius, if they have 

 any. 



I had a dispute with an old sportsman, who con- 

 tended, that the whipper-in should always attend the 

 huntsman, to obey his orders (a stable-boy, then, 

 would make as good a whipper-in as the best) ; but 

 this is so far from being the case, that he should be 

 always on the opposite side of the cover from him, or 

 I am much mistaken in my opinion : if within hearing 

 of his halloo, he is near enough ; for that is the 

 hunting signal he is to obey. The station of the 

 second whipper-in may be near the huntsman ; for 



