THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



whenever you can ; it will satisfy your hounds, yourself, your 

 field, and the farmers. Mob a bad one in a corner if you like ; 

 neither he nor his produce will show you any sport ; but never 

 dig out a good one, unless your hounds have almost viewed 

 liim into the spout or drain, which he has got into, and you 

 can bolt him before the excitement of your hounds subsides. 

 Never break ground in a country belonging to another pack of 

 hounds, nor dig for a fox in a main earth in your own. Many 

 a vixen fox, heavy with young, has been killed by this means, 

 in the spring, instead of the one that was hunted and marked 

 into it by the pack ; and be assured that sportsmen do not 

 estimate the goodness of a pack of foxhounds by the noses 

 nailed against their kennel-door. Lastly, keep your field back 

 from pressing on your hounds in chase, and still more so when 

 in difficulties, as much as in you lies ; but do not suflfer your 

 zeal to carry you too far on this point. Remember the apos- 

 tolic precept — Be courteous. Neither approach too near the 

 hounds yourself, when at fault, as the steam from even one 

 horse is perplexing to them. 



' Beckford says that, " although it is not necessary that a 

 huntsman should be a man of letters, it is necessary that he 

 should be a man of understanding." This also applies to a 

 whipper-in ; and I am bound to say, I never saw a steady 

 pack of hounds without at least one good and efficient man at 

 this post ; but I have seen many of those red-coated youths, 

 who might have been better employed at the plough's tail — 

 who, after the manner of Cicero's lawyer, belonged to the pro- 

 fession, but not to the science. Beckford assigns to him the 

 most important duties, and leaves me but little to add. I 

 merely recommend him, when his huntsman is casting his 

 hounds, to turn them to him, when necessary, as gently as he 

 can, compatible with dispatch, and with little noise ; by which 

 means they will dratv towards him, trying for the scent as 

 they go ; whereas loud and repeated rates and cracks of the 

 whip make hounds tly to their huntsman at this time with 

 their heads up. When tliey are drawing properly towards 

 him, not another word need be said ; a whipper-in merely 

 riding outside of them will, or, at least, ought to be sufficient. 



' It is scarcely necessary to observe that a whipper-in to 

 foxhounds, to be perfect, should be an accomplished horseman, 

 as nothing requires a nmch nicer and firmer hand than the 



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