DRAWING ON 113 



no enemy to a rate : I cannot think that a fox was ever lost, or a pack 

 spoilt, by it : it is improper encouragement that I am afraid of most. 



When a fox slinks from his kennel, gets a great way before the hounds, 

 and you are obliged to hunt after him with a bad scent ; if it be a country 

 where foxes are in plenty, and you know where to find another, you had 

 better do it. 1 



While hounds are drawing for a fox, let your people place themselves 

 in such a manner, that he cannot go off unseen. I have known them lie 

 in sheep's scrapes, on the sides of hills, and in small bushes, where hunts- 

 men never think of looking for them ; yet, when they hear a hound, they 

 generally shift their quarters, and make for closer covers. Gentlemen 

 should take this necessary part of fox-hunting on themselves ; for the 

 whipper-in has other business to attend to. 2 



I approve not of long drags in large covers : they give too great an 

 advantage to the fox ; they give him a hint to make the best of his way ; 

 and he frequently will set off a long while before you. This may be pre- 

 vented, by throwing your hounds into that part of the cover in which he 

 is most likely to kennel : for want of this precaution, a fox sometimes 

 gets so far the start of hounds, that they are not able to do anything with 

 him afterwards. Also, when hounds first touch on a drag, some huntsmen 

 are so careless, that, while they are going on with it the wrong way them- 

 selves, a single hound finds the fox, and is not caught any more by the pack, 

 till he has lost him again. 



Foxes are said to go down the wind to their kennel ; but I believe 

 they do not always observe that rule. 



Huntsmen, while their hounds are drawing, or are at a fault, fre- 

 quently make so much noise themselves, that they can hear nothing else : 

 they should always have an ear to a halloo. I once saw an extraordinary 

 instance of the want of it in my own huntsman, who was making so much 

 noise with his hounds, which were then at fault, that a man halloo'd a 

 long while before he heard him ; and, when he did hear him, so little did 

 he know whence the halloo came, that he rode two miles the wrong way, 

 and lost the fox. 



When hounds approach a cover which it is intended they should 

 draw, and dash away towards it, whippers-in ride after them to stop them ; 

 it is too late, and they had better let them alone ; it checks them in their 

 drawing, and is of no kind of use : it will be soon enough to begin to rate 

 when they have found, and hunt improper game. When a huntsman has 

 his hounds under good command, and is attentive to them, they will not 



1 Yet, if tliis were practised often, it might make the hounds indifferent when upon a 

 cold scent. Hounds should be made to believe they are to kill that game which they are 

 first encouraged to pursue. 



2 Upon these occasions, when you see two gentlemen togtther, you may reasonably con- 

 clude, that one of them, at least, knows nothing of the matter. 



15 



