126 FOX-HUNTING 



A huntsman should persevere as long as daylight 

 lasts, if the pace has been fast enough at any 

 period of the run to tire his fox, which should 

 never be given up out of consideration for the 

 field wanting another gallop. Of course, if it 

 has been a slow, pottering hunt, and hounds have 

 never at any time pressed their fox, the sooner 

 he is given up and another one found the better 

 it will be both for the pack and their followers. 



The professional huntsman should never at 

 any moment of the day consider the field. His 

 one idea and object should be the catching of his 

 fox, and if he be a good sportsman it will give 

 him ten times more pleasure to have a kill at the 

 end of a straight and fast gallop than after a 

 twisting run. The field are the irresponsible 

 item of the hunt : they would be glad to see a 

 fox killed, but they want to have a gallop, and 

 it does not matter to them if hounds are spoiled 

 in the meantime. A huntsman need never be 

 afraid of endangering his popularity if he does 

 his best to catch his foxes in a workman-like 

 way, but if he gives up a possible chance of a 

 kill in order that a few wild spirits may have 

 a gallop, the men he has tried to oblige will be 



