FOX-HUNTING 43 



namely, that it is a most ravishing perfume to the 

 hound, though the human being would hardly consider 

 it ecm cU Cologne. When a hound comes upon this 

 scent he will "speak to it," i.e. give a short bark of 

 delight. The rest of the pack will hurry to him, and 

 if they too " speak " to the scent, then a fox is afoot. 

 The first object is gained: a fox is found; the next 

 is to catch him. 



If he be an old stager who has baffled his pursuers 

 before, he will probably have stolen quietly away as 

 soon as hounds entered covert. We will assume for 

 the present that this has been the case, that he has 

 "gone away," and that hounds have either hunted 

 his scent through covert, or hit upon his scent outside 

 covert. Now the enjoyment of the field may be said 

 to commence, and the novice will receive his first 

 lesson in the art of " riding to hounds." 



With the rare exceptions of professional jockeys, it 

 seldom happens that the English tyro in the hunting- 

 field is a first-rate horseman. Therefore our first 

 remarks are intended for foreigners, many of whom 

 may justly lay claim to being fine riders, and others 

 who, though good horsemen, are novices in the hunt- 

 ing field. Never ride directly in the wake of hounds, 

 but on one side or other of them, and quite forty 

 yards behind. The sound of horse's hoofs in the wake 

 of hounds will make them nervous, and prevent them 

 from devoting the whole of their attention to the scent. 

 If possible, keep to the windward side of hounds, as a 

 fox will generally run down wind, though he has been 

 known to run straight in the teeth of a gale. Another 

 reason for not pressing hounds by riding in their wake, 

 is that if they check, i.e. lose the scent, horses may be 

 amongst them before they can be stopped, while in any 



