THE ART ITSELF 183 



for both, and if he is successful, he will be fully- 

 rewarded for his trouble the next time the pack 

 are out hunting. When the master does not 

 carry the horn he may on an occasion of this kind 

 become weary of dragging on, and by all means 

 then let him go home ; but he should allow his 

 huntsman to persevere, if that official thinks he 

 has the slightest chance of catching his fox. 



One of the most frequent and annoying causes 

 for hounds checking is the intervention of a sheep- 

 dog. When it is evident that a dog has chased 

 the fox, you should immediately make a wide 

 cast forward and get beyond the point where the 

 dog stopped. The sudden fright either causes 

 the fox's scent to change or otherwise leaves him 

 altogether, but the smell of the dog, mingling 

 with that of the fox, is also partly responsible 

 for the check, and the same result is seen when 

 one hound gets ahead of the rest. It is a bad 

 plan to encourage hounds to hunt after one of 

 their own number, or where a dog has been cours- 

 ing the fox, as it teaches the young hounds to 

 hunt dog. Of course when one hound does get 

 away from the others, and you do not know where 

 he is, you are obliged to let them hunt up to him ; 



