222 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



the line of it : — two parallel lines, you know, can never 

 meet} 



When he goes to a halloo, let him be careful, lest 

 his hounds run the heel, as much time is lost by it. I 

 once saw this mistake made by a famous huntsman: — 

 after we had left a cover which we had been drawing, 

 a disturbed fox was seen to go into it: he was halloo'd, 

 and we returned. The huntsman, who never inquired 

 where the fox was seen, or on which side of the cover 

 he entered, threw his hounds in at random, and, as it 

 happened, on the opposite side : they immediately took 

 the heel of him, broke cover, and hunted the scent 

 back to his very kennel. 



Different countries require different casts. Such 

 huntsmen as have been used to a woodland and 

 inclosed country, I have seen lose time in an open 

 country, where wide casts are always necessary. 



When you want to cast round a flock of sheep, the 

 whipper-in ought to drive them the other way, lest 

 they should keep running on before you. 



A fox seldom goes over or under a gate, when he 

 can avoid it. 



Huntsmen are frequently very conceited, and very 

 obstinate. Oftentimes have I seen them, when their 

 hounds came to a check, turn directly back, on seeing 

 hounds at head which they had no opinion of. They 

 supposed the fox was gone another way ; in which case, 

 Mr. Bayes's remark in the Rehearsal always occurs to 



1 By attending to this, a huntsman cannot fail to make a good cast ; 

 for, if he observe the point of the fox, he may always cross upon the scent 

 of him. 



