82 THE HUNTING FIELD 



never feeds his hounds, for he at all events does not 

 lick them, and an animal remembers a blow much 

 longer than he does a bellyful of meat. 



In addition to this, the Huntsman Whipper-in 

 generally has the pack pawned off upon him, under 

 disadvantageous circumstances — during a hurricane 

 perhaps — or at some out of the way, or interminable 

 woodland meet, or during doubtful, changing, frost 

 catching weather. Of all trials, however, that of 

 wind is the worst. "Take not out your hounds 

 in a very windy or bad day," says Beckford, and 

 hundreds of Masters and servants must have echoed 

 the sentiment. 



A Huntsman Whipper-in has not a fair chance 

 under such circumstances, and if we were a Gentle- 

 man-Huntsman, and thought the day too windy to 

 go out ourself, we would keep the hounds at home 

 rather than risk an accident by sending them out in 

 such critical times, different to what they usually go. 

 Wind is the very deuce and all in hunting. Fancy 

 being pinned, as we have been, horse and all, on 

 the top of a hill, coat flaps flying out, one hand 

 grasping the hat, the other the reins, with the horse 

 snorting and sticking his feet into the ground for fear 

 of being blown over, and then let a man ask himself 

 if that is pleasure. Pleasure ! We would rather pick 

 oakum or work the treadmill under cover. 



" On windy days, or such as are not likely to afford 

 any scent for hounds, it is better, I think," says 

 Beckford, " to send the hounds to be exercised on 

 the turnpike-road; it will do them less harm than 

 hunting with them might do, and more good than if 

 they were to remain confined in their kennel ; for 

 though nothing makes hounds so handy as taking 

 them out often, nothing inclines them so much to 

 riot as taking them out to hunt when there is little or 

 no scent, and particularly on windy days, when they 

 cannot hear one another." 



