138 FOX-HUNTING 



unless the master gives the order. By close 

 observation, and watching the mistakes of his 

 huntsman, he will learn much more than by 

 trying to take on himself the duties of his 

 superior. 



A whip should count his hounds at every 

 opportunity, and he will then know, if any are 

 missing, whereabouts to look for them. The 

 huntsman has quite enough to think about in 

 hunting his fox, and he should be able to 

 rely entirely on his assistants without bothering 

 whether the pack are * all on ' or not. When a 

 fox goes away quickly down-wind from a large 

 covert, the whip on the up-wind side should 

 ride through the middle of the wood and call 

 on any hounds that may have been left behind. 

 Of course, nearly every master and huntsman 

 has different rules, but in large woodlands I 

 prefer to see the first whip accompany the hunts- 

 man into covert. I consider he will be quite 

 as much wanted there as he would in the open. 

 Hounds may divide, run riot, or the huntsman 

 may want to lift them to where a fox was last 

 seen, and in any of these contingencies a whip's 

 aid is necessary. He should not, however, 



