164 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



with him. There is a fault, however, which a knowing 

 huntsman is too apt to commit : — he will find a fresh 

 fox, and then claim the merit of having recovered the 

 hunted one. It always is dangerous to throw hounds 

 into a cover to retrieve a lost scent, and, unless they 

 hit him in, is not to be depended on. Driven to the 

 last extremity, should a knowing cast not succeed, 

 your huntsman is in nowise blameable. Mine, I 

 remember, lost me a good chase, by persevering too 

 long in a favourite cast ; but he gave me so many 

 good reasons why the fox ought to have gone that 

 way, that I returned perfectly well satisfied, telling 

 him at the same time, that, if the fox was a fool } 

 he could not help it. 



Gentlemen, when hounds are at fault, are too apt 

 themselves to prolong it : they should always stop 

 their horses some distance behind the hounds ; and, 

 if it be possible to remain silent, this is the time to 

 be so : they should be careful not to ride before the 

 hounds, or over the scent ; nor should they ever meet 

 a hound in the face, unless with a design to stop him. 

 Should you at any time be before the hounds, turn 

 your horse's head the way they are going, get out 

 of their track, and let them pass by you. 



In dry weather, foxes, particularly in heathy 

 countries, will run the roads. If gentlemen, at such 

 times, will ride close upon the hounds, they may drive 

 them miles without any scent. 1 High-mettled fox- 



1 No one should ever ride in a direction which, if persisted in, would 

 carry him amongst the hounds, unless he be at a great distance behind 

 them. 



