DIRECTIONS TO THE HUNTSMAN 159 



them steady. When left to themselves, they seldom 

 refuse any blood they can get ; they acquire many bad 

 habits ; they become conceited ; a terrible fault in any 

 animal ; — and they learn to tie upon the scent ; an 

 unpardonable fault in a foxhound : — besides this, they 

 frequently get a trick of hunting by themselves ; and 

 they seldom are worth much afterwards. The lying 

 out in the cold, perhaps the whole night, can do no 

 good to their constitutions ; nor will the being worried 

 by sheep-dogs, or mastiffs, be of service to their 

 bodies : — all this, however, and much more, they are 

 liable to. I believe I mentioned in my fourth Letter, 

 that the straw-house door should be left open when 

 any hounds are missing. 



Every country is soon known ; and nine foxes out 

 of ten, with the wind in the same quarter, will follow 

 the same track. It is easy, therefore, for the whipper- 

 in to cut short, and catch the hounds again ; at least, 

 it is so in the country where I hunt. With a high 

 scent, you cannot push on hounds too much. Screams 

 keep the fox forward, at the same time that they keep 

 the hounds together, or let in the tail hounds ; x they 

 also enliven the sport, and, if discreetly used, are 

 always of service ; but, in cover, they should be given 

 with the greatest caution. 



Most fox-hunters wish to see their hounds run in a 

 good style. I confess I am myself one of those. I 



1 Halloos seldom do any hurt, when you are running up the wind ; 

 for then, none but the tail hounds can hear you : when you are running 

 down the wind, you should halloo no more than may be necessary to 

 bring the tail hounds forward ; for a hound that knows his business 

 seldom wants encouragement when he is upon a scent. 



