THE ART ITSELF 155 



field will desire ; but you must not study either 

 your own inclinations or theirs. Your duty is, 

 first of all, to make the pack, and then to kill all 

 the worst or weakest foxes. If in pursuance of 

 these duties a good run does fall to your lot, you 

 will not enjoy it the less because it was unexpected. 

 Let us picture to ourselves a morning in early 

 September, which shall be your first appearance 

 with the horn. Since last May you have been 

 looking forward to this moment with the most 

 intense eagerness, and now it has arrived. By 

 judicious feeding and plenty of exercise, your pack 

 are full of muscle and in the best of wind ; whilst 

 by continually riding out with them they have 

 grown to look on you as their master, whom it 

 is their pleasure to love and obey. The good or 

 bad qualities of the old hounds are to you an 

 unknown quantity ; but you have procured one 

 or two ancient warriors, drafted on account of 

 age, and on these you hope to depend in times 

 of difficulty. Out of the twenty-six couple with 

 which you intend to hunt this two-days-a-week 

 country, twelve couple are unentered, and with 

 these as a foundation you expect some day to 

 form a good pack. 



