TALKING IN THE FIELD 129 



fails to look up in your face, as much as to say, what 

 the deuce do you zvant f — when he stoops to the scent 

 again, is it not probable that he means to say, you fool 

 you, let me alone f 



When your hounds are at fault, let not a word be 

 said : let such as follow them ignorantly and un- 

 worthily, stand all aloof — Procul, O procul este prof ani! 

 — for whilst such are chattering, not a hound will 

 hunt. A-propos, Sir, a politician will say; "What 

 news from America?" A-propos, "Do you think both 

 the admirals will be tried ? " or, a-propos, " Did you 

 hear what has happened to my grandmother ? " Such 

 questions are, at such a time, extremely troublesome, 

 and very mal-a-propos. Amongst the ancients, it was 

 reckoned an ill omen to speak in hunting : I wish it 

 were thought so now. Hoc age, should be one of the 

 first maxims in hunting, as in life : and I can assure 

 you, when I am in the field I never wish to hear any 

 other tongue than that of a hound. A neighbour of 

 mine was so truly a hare-hunter in this particular, 

 that he would not suffer any body to speak a word 

 when his hounds were at fault. A gentleman happen- 

 ing to cough — he rode up to him immediately, and 

 said, u I wish, Sir, with all my heart, that your cough 

 was better." 



In a good day, good hounds seldom give up the 

 scent at head ; if they do, there is generally an obvious 

 reason for it : this observation a huntsman should 

 always make ; it will direct his cast. If he be a good 

 one, he will attend as he goes, not only to his hounds 

 (nicely observing which have the lead, and the degree 



K 



