UNSTEADY HOUNDS 115 



tented, his master's steps, to repose upon the same lawn where the frightened 

 deer again return, and are again indebted to his courtesy for their wonted 

 pasture wonderful proofs of obedience, sagacity, and penetration ! The 

 many learned dogs and learned horses, that so frequently appear and 

 astonish the vulgar, sufficiently evince what education is capable of ; and 

 it is to education that I must chiefly attribute the superior excellence of 

 the buck-hound, since I have seen high-bred fox-hounds do the same, 

 under the same good masters. But, to return to my subject. 



Young foxes that have been much disturbed, will lie at ground. I 

 once found seven or eight in a cover, where, the next day, I could not find 

 one ; nor were they to be found elsewhere : the earths, at such times, should 

 be stopt three or four hours before day, or you will find no foxes. 



The first day you hunt a cover that is full of foxes, and you want 

 blood, let them not be checked back into the cover (which is the usual 

 practice at such times), but let some of them get off : if you do not, what 

 with continual changing, and sometimes running the heel, it is probable 

 that you will not kill any. Another precaution, I think, may be also 

 necessary that is, to stop such earths only as you cannot dig. If some 

 foxes should go to ground, it will be as well ; and if you should be in want 

 of blood at last, you will then know where to get it. 



It is usual, when people are not certain of the steadiness of their hounds 

 from deer, to find a fox in an adjacent cover, that they may be on their 

 right scent when they come where deer are. I have my doubts of the 

 propriety of this proceeding. If hounds have not been well awed from 

 deer, it is not fit that they should come among them ; but, if hounds be 

 tolerably steady, I would rather find a fox with them among deer, than 

 bring them afterwards into covers where deer are. By drawing amongst 

 them, they will, in some degree, be awed from the scent, and possibly may 

 stick to the fox when he is found ; but should unsteady hounds, when 

 high on their mettle, run into a cover where deer are in plenty, there is no 

 doubt that, the first check they come to, they will all fall off. I always 

 have found hounds most inclined to riot when most upon their mettle : 

 such as are given to sheep will then kill sheep, and such as are not quite 

 steady from deer, will then be most likely to break off after them. When 

 hounds are encouraged on a scent, if they lose that scent, it is then that 

 an unsteady hound is ready for any kind of mischief. 



I have already said, that a huntsman ought never to flog a hound. 

 When a riotous hound, conscious of his offence, may escape from the whipper- 

 in, and fly to the huntsman, you will see him put his whole pack into con- 

 fusion, by endeavouring to chastise him himself. This is the height of 

 absurdity. Instead of flogging the hound, he ought to encourage him, 

 who should always have some place to fly to for protection. If the offence 

 be a bad one, let him get off his horse, and couple up the dog, leaving him 



