147 



individual may have grasped the fact that horses, 

 cattle, sheep and manure-stained ground have a baleful 

 influence on scent, but he usually fails to realise the 

 strength of his own smell or its power in effacing the 

 hare's faint perfume. 



If our detectives could cultivate the scenting abilities 

 of hounds they would find it a much surer method of 

 ruiming criminals to ground than the finger print 

 system, for everyone has a distinctive smell of his or 

 her own. Hounds are famiUar with their huntsman's 

 smell and consequently it does not bother them so much 

 as would a stranger's. For this reason, it is important 

 for followers to give the huntsman plenty of room and 

 not walk after him whilst he is making a cast. Common 

 sense will tell you that if your scent is stronger than a 

 hare's it must do harm to walk over the hne. 



The fast runner should remember never to run exactly 

 in the wake of hounds, but a httle to one side or the 

 other, keeping a sharp look-out on the leaders of the 

 pack and stopping instantly on the slightest sign of 

 hesitation. Hares turn very short and when least 

 expected, so that if not exercising great care, those a 

 little too forward may find themselves over the line, 

 and prevent a quick recovery. 



For young men who are exceptionally fast and are in 

 hard condition, it is possible to keep fairly close to a 

 pack during a run from start to finish. The situation is, 

 however, quite different for one who has left his school- 

 days some years behind, and whose muscles have lost 

 the resiliency of youth. He may reaHse that increasing 

 weight and impaired digestion, with an accompanying 

 advance to premature old age, are due more or less to 

 want of exercise, and being fond of sport, decides to 

 join a pack of beagles for a hunt once or twice a week. 



