84 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



in the face of the hounds, keeping the baying pack 

 back with his whip for a second or two, view- 

 halloaing all the time to cheer them at the fox. 

 Then toss the fox in visible delight to the expectant 

 pack. I have seen a whipper-in permitted by his 

 huntsman to plunge his knife into the fox and slash 

 him different ways, I suppose from the vulgar idea 

 that as sheep were cut uj), foxes should be 

 similiarly dealt with ; but this is an unsportsman- 

 like error. 



I always used to scalp the head, never permitting 



it to be severed from the body. The scalps look 



well on the kennel-doors, and the hounds like the 



head very much, and to take it from them is a 



pity. Generally speaking, one hound will always 



possess himself of the head, and, when a second 



fox is not drawn for, carry it home with him all 



the way to the kennel in triumph. Great judgment 



is required from a master of hounds, as well as 



unflinching decision in regard to the work done 



by his pack and horses. On some days both 



hounds and horses do a hard day's work in killing 



a fox, while the ^^ gentlemen sportsmen" do little 



else than sit still, talk, and smoke cigars. In an 



instance such as this the master of liounds must, 



