84 HORNS, HOLLOAS, DOG LANGUAGE 



mort, and all huntsmen should sound it in the same 

 manner. 



Judging from effects, then, it would seem that 

 the huntsman who is chary of the use of his horn, 

 as a general rule, has the best chance of finding his 

 summons promptly obeyed when he does " wind a 

 blast," and it is interesting to note the eagerness with 

 which the pack, who know that business only is 

 meant, will fly to the sound when they hear it ; and 

 surely it is most important that they should do so. 

 At a check, for instance, on a windy day, with 

 hounds spread out over a field vainly trying to 

 recover the lost clue, the huntsman, wishing to bring 

 them together for a cast in another direction, touches 

 his horn. Vox huinmia is of no use, the wind will 

 scatter his " Yeo-yeote " to the deuce ; but a ringing 

 blast of the horn, if they have not learned from 

 overuse to disregard the sound, will pick their heads 

 up at once, and bring them crowding round his 

 horse's heels. 



Then mark the eagerness with which hounds obey 

 the " doubling " of some horns when the fox is gone ! 

 How they fairly tumble over one another in their 

 haste to get to the spot where that stirring obligate 

 is being performed. When this is noticed, I think, it 

 may, as a rule, also be observed that the huntsman 

 is not a lavish user of the instrument. 



It is doubtless an art that takes a certain amount 

 of time and practice to acquire, this winding of the 

 merry horn, but I think it is worth acquiring. Many 

 celebrated huntsmen of the past have been much 

 praised for their "excellent note on a horn," and 



