216 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



hounds often interrupted by the horsemen : such 

 ridings only are advantageous, as enable the servants 

 belonging to the hounds to get to them. 



If a fox should run up the wind when first found, 

 and afterwards turn, he will seldom, if ever, turn again. 

 The observation may not only be of use to your hunts- 

 man in his cast, but may be of use to yourself, if you 

 should lose the hounds. 



When you are pursuing a fox over a country, the 

 scent being bad, and the fox a long way before, with- 

 out ever having been pressed ; if his point should be 

 for strong earths that are open, or for large covers 

 where game is in plenty — it may be acting wisely to 

 take off the hounds at the first fault; for the fox will go 

 many miles to your one, and probably will run you out 

 of all scent ; and, if he should not, you will be likely 

 to change at the first cover you come into. When 

 a fox has been hard pressed, you have already my 

 opinion, that he never should be given up. 



When you would recover a hunted fox, and have 

 no longer scent to hunt him by, a long cast to the first 

 cover which he seems to point for, is the only resource 

 that you have left. Get thither as fast as you can, and 

 then let your hounds try as slowly and as quietly as 

 possible. If hunting after him be hopeless, and a long 

 cast do not succeed, you had better give him up. I 

 need not remind you, when the scent lies badly, and 

 you find it impossible for hounds to run, that you had 

 better return home ; since the next day may be more 

 favourable. It surely is a great fault in a huntsman to 

 persevere in bad weather, when hounds cannot run, 



