102 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



forward ; and has it frequently in his power to assist the hounds, without 

 doing them any hurt, provided he should have sense to distinguish where 

 he may be chiefly wanted. Besides, the most essential part of fox-hunting, 

 the making and keeping the pack steady, depends entirely upon him ; as a 

 huntsman should seldom rate, and never flog, a hound. In short, I con- 

 sider the first whipper-in as a second huntsman ; and, to be perfect, he 

 should be not less capable of hunting the hounds than the huntsman himself. 



You cannot too much recommend to your whipper-in to get to the head 

 of his hounds before he attempts to stop them. The rating behind is to 

 little purpose, and, if they should be hi cover, may prevent him from know- 

 ing who the culprits are. When your hounds are running a fox, he then 

 should content himself with stopping such as are riotous, and should get 

 them forward. They may be condemned upon the spot ; but the punish- 

 ment should be deferred till the next day, when they may be taken out on 

 purpose to commit the fault, and suffer the punishment. I agree with you, 

 that young hounds cannot be awed too much ; yet suffer not your punish- 

 ment of them to exceed their offence. I could wish to draw a line betwixt 

 justice and barbarity. 1 



A whipper-in, while breaking-in young hounds, sometimes will rate 

 them before they commit the fault : this may, perhaps, prevent them for 

 that time ; but they will be just as ready to begin the next opportunity. 

 Had he not better let them quite alone, till he see what they would be at ? 

 The discipline then may be proportioned to the degree of the offence. 

 Whether a riotous young hound run little or much, is of small consequence, 

 if he be not encouraged : it is the blood only that signifies, which in every 

 kind of riot should carefully be prevented. 2 



My general orders to my whipper-in are, if, when he rate a hound, the 

 hound does not mind him, to take him up immediately, and give him a severe 

 flogging. Whippers-m are too apt to continue rating, even when they find 

 that rating will not avail. There is but one way to stop such hounds, which 

 is, to get to the heads of them. I also tell him, never, on any account, to 

 strike a hound, unless the hound be at the same time sensible what it is for. 

 What think you of the whipper-in who struck a hound as he was going to 

 cover, because he was likely to be noisy afterwards saying, ' you will be 

 noisy enough by and bye, I warrant you ? ' Whippers-m, when left to them- 



1 I am sorry that it should be necessary to explain what I mean by barbarity. I mean 

 that punishment which is either unnecessarily inflicted, which is inflicted with severity, or 

 from which no possible good can arise. Punishment, when properly applied, is not cruelty, 

 is not revenge it is justice, it is even mercy. The intention of punishment is to prevent 

 crimes, and consequently to prevent the necessity of punishing. 



2 It is not meant that hounds should be suffered to continue on a wrong scent longer 

 than may be necessary to know that the scent is a wrong one. This passage refers to page 43, 

 where the author's meaning is more fully explained. It is introduced here more strongly, to 

 mark the danger of encouraging hounds on a wrong scent, and indulging them afterwards in 

 the blood of it. 



