184 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



proportioned to the degree of the offence. Whether a 

 riotous young hound run little or much, is of small 

 consequence, if he be not encouraged : it is the blood 

 only that signifies, which in every kind of riot should 

 carefully be prevented. 1 



My general orders to my whipper-in are, if, when 

 he rate a hound, the hound does not mind him, to take 

 him up immediately, and give him a severe flogging. 

 Whippers-in are too apt to continue rating, even when 

 they find that rating will not avail. There is but one 

 way to stop such hounds, which is, to get to the heads 

 of them. I also tell him, never, on any account, to 

 strike a hound, unless the hound be at the same time 

 sensible what it is for. What think you of the 

 whipper-in who struck a hound as he was going to 

 cover, because he was likely to be noisy afterwards — 

 saying, "you will be noisy enough by and bye, I warrant 

 you?" Whippers-in, when left to themselves, are rare 

 judges of propriety. I wish they would never strike a 

 hound that does not deserve it, and would strike those 

 hard that do. They seldom distinguish sufficiently 

 the degrees of offence which a dog may have com- 

 mitted, to proportion their punishment accordingly ; 

 and such is their stupidity, that, when they turn a 

 hound after the huntsman, they will rate him as 

 severely as if he had been guilty of the greatest fault. 



1 It is not meant that hounds should be suffered to continue on a 

 wrong scent longer than may be necessary to know that the scent is a 

 wrong one. This passage refers to page 75, where the author's meaning 

 is more fully explained. It is introduced here more strongly, to mark 

 the danger of encouraging hounds on a wrong scent, and indulging them 

 afterwards in the blood of it. 



