HOLLOAS. 385 



given when the fox is too far off, in which case the hounds 

 might not be able to take up the line properly. If the holloa 

 is given too close, it may have the effect of sending the fox 

 back into the covert, and spoiling what might have otherwise 

 been a good run. Besides, there is often more than one fox 

 in a covert, and the viewed one may not be the fox which the 

 huntsman wants to pursue. Further, the viewed fox may be 

 going in the wrong direction, for instance, away from the 

 kennels, at the end of a long day, and especially when the 



Fig. 239. Midland stile. 



hounds are far from home. If, on viewing a fox, we have 

 good reason to think that a judicious holloa would be helpful 

 to the huntsman, we might, if practicable, ride up to him, or 

 to one of the whippers-in and tell him what we saw or hold 

 up our hat. 



A friend tells me that a certain Irish hunt used to pur 

 on their card of fixtures, " Gentlemen are requested not to 

 call to the hounds"! In the Midlands with a proper staff, 

 no fox goes away unnoticed. If we holloa "Tally ho 



25 



/ ~L 



