THE IJFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



oftener seen at head than any of the rest. Of course a hound 

 that is not remarkable is never last, or where he should not be, 

 but holds the line, and is what is called by some, a good line- 

 hunter, which is the criterion of all goodness ; that is, if he 

 drives a scent, too, without dwelling on it." We may certainly 

 call a hound of this description both good and highly useful in 

 hunting a fox to his death, but we cannot call him brilliant. 

 As Beckford says, " It is the dash of the foxhound that dis- 

 tinguishes him, as it does the hero in the battle." Besides, 

 this same friend thus defines the line-hunter : — " A hound 

 which will not go a yard beyond the scent, and keeps the pack 

 right." Now if a hound, with a superior nose and steadiness, 

 were to be conspicuous at the head, it strikes me that he 

 would be more likely to be efficient in driving and scent, and 

 guiding the pack right. 



' Of the faults of hounds, if not the worst, the most 

 provoking of any is slackness. It reminds you of one man 

 taking a horse to water, whilst twenty cannot make him drink. 

 I had rather have to do with a Avild hound than a slack one. 

 The two most acknowledged faults are running mute and 

 skirting. The first culprit sneaks away with your fox, and 

 foils the ground for the rest of the pack should they chance to 

 get on the line ; and the second — although a proof of intellect, 

 or rather, running — is often the cause of much mischief, and 

 always spoils the business-like appearance of things, however 

 good as to extent or finish your run may be. There are, also, 

 what are called left-handed hounds — not exactly skirters, but 

 apt to run wide of the pack, perhaps waiting for a turn in their 

 favour, but leaving the rest of the pack to do the principal 

 work of the day. Keep none of these sorts, however good 

 they may be (and often are they very good) in other respects. 

 Then in the contrary extreme to the mute is the noisy hound, 

 which speaks (as iiien sometimes speak) without knowing why, 

 that is to say, without the scent of a fox, and often without 

 any scent at all. He is a fit candidate for the halter, as 

 worthless. I need not, however, tell you, who have so often 

 seen hounds going their best pace, and over a country which 

 enables them to hold on that best pace for a longer time than 

 most others, that there are times when three parts of a pack 

 run mute. On occasions like these, however, no fault is to be 

 found. It is not in the power of a man to run and shout at 



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