46 THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 



" It's more than mortal patience can 

 endure, " replied Ned, by way of justification, 

 " to stick in the rear on some occasions." 



" But your duty, Ned," seriously rejoined 

 WiU Sykes, " won't bear excuse. It's as 

 much your place to be behind hounds as it is 

 mine to be with them. In my judgment," 

 continued he, " there are but these couple of 

 proper causes for a whip to be seen for'ard : 

 — when hounds are to be stopped, and when 

 ordered to clap to an open earth or hold a 

 fox in covert, if not on such terms that we 

 can run him." 



" But you seldom give me the chance of 

 doing the last, ' ' returned his nephew. 



"And the less the better," added Will 

 Sykes. '* It's too much like mobbing a fox 

 to please me; but still there are occasions, as 

 in lifting hounds, to justify us in so doing. If 

 the scent be cold and the fox a long way 

 ahead, so that hounds can't hunt, we must, 

 in order to have any chance, get them nearer 

 to him, and then it is that a whip may get 

 for'ard to the point and head him in." 



*' But this only applies to a fresh fox, I 

 suppose? " said Ned Adams. 



"To be sure," responded his uncle. 



