THE BEST METHOD OF HUNTING 117 



and patient; for patience, he should be a very Grizzle; 

 and the more quiet he is, the better. He should have 

 infinite perseverance; for a hare should never be given 

 up while it is possible to hunt her : she is sure to stop, 

 and therefore may always be recovered. Were it 

 usual to attend to the breed of our huntsman as well 

 as to that of our hounds, I know no family that would 

 furnish a better cross than that of the silent gentleman 

 mentioned by the Spectator : a female of his line, 

 crossed with a knowing huntsman, would probably 

 produce a perfect hare-hunter. 



The whipper-in also has little to do with him whom 

 I before described : yet he may be like the second 

 whipper-in to a pack of fox-hounds ; the stable-boy 

 who is to follow the huntsman : but I would have him 

 still more confined, for he should not dare even to 

 stop a hound, or smack a whip, without the huntsman's 

 order. Much noise and rattle is directly contrary to 

 the first principles of hare-hunting, which is, to be 

 perfectly quiet, and to let your hounds alone. I have 

 seen few hounds so good as town packs, that have no 

 professed huntsman to follow them. If they have no 

 one to assist them, they have at the same time no one 

 to interrupt them ; which, I believe, for this kind of 

 hunting is still more essential. I should, however, 

 mention a fault that I have observed, and which such 

 hounds must of necessity sometimes be guilty of; that 

 is, running back the heel} Hounds are naturally fond 



[' Hares will often run their foil for some distance, and then go off at 

 a tangent. The old hounds, if left alone, will carry the line back, and 

 therefore it must not be taken for granted they are running heel because 

 they go back. This is one excellent reason why no one should follow 



