THE WHIPPER-IN 143 



liberty. Let him on these occasions stand still 

 and watch the pack make their own cast, and 

 try for the scent themselves. Then, if they fail 

 to hit the line, and the huntsman is nowhere in 

 sight, he may take on himself the responsibility 

 of hunting them. I am supposing in a case 

 of this kind that the master is not with hounds, 

 as, of course, otherwise he will give the necessary 

 order, or he may decide to assume command 

 himself. It is a great advantage for hounds 

 to be sometimes allowed rather more than the 

 usual time to recover the scent, and all the whip 

 need do is to civilly request the field to stand 

 perfectly still. 



When a whip goes on to the down-wind side 

 of a covert that hounds are about to draw, he 

 should cast a quick glance over the surrounding 

 country the moment he arrives at his post, for 

 travelling foxes are ever on the alert, and will 

 often leave their kennel when the field are still a 

 mile away. Seeing nothing in the distance, he will 

 then restrict his view to the limits of the covert, 

 and not for one moment must he allow his eyes 

 to wander elsewhere, until a note on the hunts- 

 man's horn tells him there is no further need for 



