OF TUFTIXG. 11 



soon the pack and the remainder of the field are 

 coming up. Tufters are stopped, and the pack is 

 laid on. 



Sometimes one has not such luck, and numerous 

 instances have occurred where we have galloped for 

 half-an-hour or more with only a single tufter in front 

 of us. But, good luck or bad luck, rarely, if ever, 

 does Tucker fail to single out his stag. Many of the 

 field do not care to come on with the tufters, while 

 others declare that some of the best gallops in the 

 season take place after tufters on the forest. But if 

 one rides with the tufters a second horse is an 

 absolute necessity. 



Considerable judgment has to be shown in stopping 

 tufters at the right moment, whether in the forest or 

 when drawing a woodland, for sometimes — indeed, 

 frequently — several deer have gone away more or 

 less on the same line, and, unless the tufters are 

 allowed to run far enough clear of the covert, the 

 pack may easily pick up the wrong line. But, as a 

 rule, the sooner hounds are stopped when once clear 

 of covert the better. It is wonderful how soon 

 hounds which have been used a few times for tufting 

 will learn their work, and will stop to a word, even 

 when running on a breast-high scent. 



Occasionally one or more tufters will slip away 

 from covert on the line of the stag with disastrous 

 results to the day's sport, for even if scent be good 

 hounds never run so kindly or keenly on the line when 

 other hounds are ahead. It. happened from a meet 



