170 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



by the fox being headed back, if, in that particular 

 instance, you suffer them to try back, it gives them the 

 best chance of hitting off the scent again, as they may 

 try on both sides at once. 



When hounds are running in cover, you cannot be 

 too quiet. If the fox be running short, and the hounds 

 are catching him, not a word should then be said : it is 

 a difficult time for hounds to hunt him, as he is con- 

 tinually turning, and will sometimes lie down and let 

 them pass him. 



I have remarked, that the greatest danger of losing 

 a fox is at the first finding of him, and when he is 

 sinking ; at both of which times he frequently will run 

 short ; and the eagerness of the hounds is too apt to 

 carry them beyond the scent. When a fox is first 

 found I wish every one would keep behind the hounds 

 till they are well settled to the scent ; and when the 

 hounds are catching him, I wish them to be as silent 

 as they can. 



When he is caught, I like to see hounds eat him 

 eagerly. In some countries, I am told, they have a 

 method of treeing him i 1 it is of use to make the 

 hounds eager ; it lets them all in ; they recover their 

 wind, and eat him more readily. I should advise you, 

 at the same time, not to keep him too long, as I do not 

 imagine the hounds have any appetite to eat him, 

 longer than whilst they are angry with him. 



When two packs of fox-hounds run together, and 



1 The intention of it is, to make the hounds more eager, and to let in 

 the tail hounds. The fox is thrown across the branch of a tree, and the 

 hounds are suffered to bay at him for some minutes before he is thrown 

 amongst them. 



