87 



punished. Of course discipline is necessary and a 

 hound that ignores an order when it is accompanied 

 by his name must receive the penalty for disobedience. 

 Even on these occasions a whip should exercise his 

 discretion, and give the blow according to the tempera- 

 ment of the individual. Some shy and nervous hounds 

 will be fully punished with the sUghtest smack, whilst 

 others treat a sharp cut as a thing to be avoided, but 

 which does not affect their spirits in the least. A hound 

 of five or six seasons should very rarely be touched, 

 as if he has been kept thus long, he must be good in 

 his work and having developed character with age, 

 resents very strongly being hit, more particularly if 

 ^e knows he has committed no grave offence. 



At the meet the whips may be allowed to keep the pack 

 together, as it is when waiting that hounds are apt to 

 stray from the fold. On roads going to covert the same 

 rules apply as when journejdng to the meet and should 

 be carefully observed. At this moment strict masters see 

 that none of the field get in front of the second whip. 



On arriving at a covert the whips should see that no 

 hounds break away until the huntsman has given them 

 permission. Both aids will have been told beforehand 

 where to go and each on reaching his appointed spot 

 must take up a position that commands an uninterrupted 

 view, from which he should not move his gaze for a 

 second. If as may happen, one of the field should 

 accompany him, he should refuse to be drawn into 

 conversation and poHtely request the talkative one not 

 to utter a word. If a good position close to a covert is 

 obtained and a whip has not made a sound, a fox will 

 go away almost under his horse's nose obhvious of the 

 watcher's proximity. 



