FOX-HUNTING 45 



which the roadsters often do at the risk of " heading " the 

 fox, i.e. turning him from his line. The novice cannot 

 do better than take one of these men as his pilot, for if 

 he is not actually in at the death, he will not be far 

 away. If he joins the ruck of the field who follow in 

 the wake of the straight riders on the chance of creeping 

 through the gaps which they have made, he will see 

 no sport, and when he next sees hounds will probably 

 be told that they killed their fox an hour ago. 



But it is seldom that hounds run from find to kill 

 without a check, i.e. without losing the scent. Some- 

 times they pick it up again ; sometimes they lose it 

 and, a fortiori, the fox altogether. 



But a check is the occasion for the huntsman to display 

 his science, and for each individual hound to display 

 his powers of scent. 



The reasons for a check are too multifarious to 

 mention in detail, so we will reduce them into three 

 classes : 



1. The natural cunning of the fox which often enables 



him to elude hounds, e.g. after creeping 

 through a fence he will constantly, more 

 especially towards the finish of a run, turn at 

 right angles, and go down the ditch or bank on 

 the further side, or cross a flock of sheep, so 

 that the stain of the sheep may destroy his scent. 



2. The hatred of the fox to hcing seen. A ploughman, 



a shepherd's dog, a carriage in the road, et sic 

 ad infinitum^ will make him turn from his line ; 

 he has been " headed " in other words. 



3. The mysterious qualities of scent. Allusion has 



already been made to scent rising above the 

 olfactories of hounds, and setting down again. 



