THE ART ITSELF 151 



good or bad qualities of each, and arranging in 

 his mind matings for the future. 



I need hardly tell you that it is very necessary 

 you should be punctual and should never keep 

 your field waiting. If the hour fixed is eleven 

 o'clock, move off at ten minutes past and wait 

 for no one ; but you should let it be understood 

 what law you give, or you may cause a good 

 sportsman some day to lose a run. When you 

 employ a professional huntsman or leave the whip 

 to bring the hounds on, you must see they have 

 reliable watches, as ten minutes is quite long 

 enough for hounds to stand about on a cold day. 

 Eleven o'clock is, however, the time of meeting 

 for the regular season, and before we come to 

 that I have some words to say about cub-hunting. 



Cub-hunting is the period when the pack and the 

 coming season are made. If the master and hunts- 

 man then work hard, they may look forward to 

 enjoying themselves later on. Not later than the 

 first week in September nor earlier than the middle 

 of August may be set down as about the time 

 to commence operations. Whilst the weather is 

 hot, hounds should be at the covert-side as soon 

 as there is light enough to view a fox away. Pay 



