THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



of a second draft. By no means enter your young hounds to 

 hare. It is a practice not founded in reason ; on the contrary, 

 it is, by opposing the natural propensities of the animal, after 

 having encouraged them, an unjustifiable exercise of our 

 dominion over him. 



' You will, of course, go through the process of cub-hunting. 

 On this subject I have only to observe — begin as soon as you 

 can, and follow it u]) stoutly. Exclusive of the necessity of 

 entering and blooding your hounds, by moving young foxes, 

 you will make them safer from the fox-takers ; and those 

 which may be left in the country will fly when found by your 

 pack further on in the season. But don't think too higldy of 

 blood further on in the season. That it is desirable there 

 cannot be a question, when obtained by fair means, and 

 well-deserved ; but that it is essential to sport, I deny. 

 Weather admitting of good scent is essential, if you please ; 

 but I can name one of the first packs in England wliich 

 had the best week's sport they ever had since they were a 

 pack, after nine days' hunting, without tasting blood. Stag- 

 hounds rarely taste blood, and what hounds run faster, or 

 work harder ? 



' It has been said that a run with foxhounds should re- 

 semble a successful battle— that it should be " sharp, short, 

 and decisive." My idea of a truly good run is not exactl}' this. 

 I think it should be not less than an hour, and with at least 

 two checks. I mean to say, there should be difficulties in the 

 course of it, the overcoming of which proclaims the credit of 

 both hounds and huntsman. I would divide it thus : — I 

 would have twenty-five minutes, best pace, witli a right good 

 scent. Next, a check well recovered, but not until the hounds 

 and horses had recovered their wind, and, even then, I like 

 seeing the pack brought to hunting, but at a fair pace, for 

 about fifteen more minutes. I would now wish to see my 

 fox well hunted up to, and finish with running into him 

 at the end of the remaining twenty minutes, at very best 

 pace. Runs exceeding an hour are liable to two objections ; 

 they are tiresome to hounds and horses, and are not what is 

 called business-like. For my own part, I have always seen 

 more satisfaction expressed by my field, after a smart burst of 

 half an hour, than at the end of a run which we may call a 

 journey. 



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