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the young hounds, taking long rides in the country, especially 

 in the direction of the different districts likely to be hunted, 

 not only to get his hounds into condition, but to accustom 

 them to the country, and make them steady on the road. 

 After all these preliminaries are gone through (the difficulties 

 attending which are little known or cared for by the swell in 

 his red coat, who turns out on the opening day to gallop over 

 the hounds), the first day's cub-hunting takes place. The 

 date of commencement entirely depends upon the state of the 

 country, being much earlier in England than in Scotland, on 

 account of the crops being sooner off the ground. The hounds 

 are cast into covert early in the morning, while the dew is on 

 the ground. No one is acquainted with the exact spot where 

 the Meet is to take place, unless it be some particular friend, 

 some regular old stager, whose age, or sometimes purse, pre- 

 cludes him from joining in the regular chase, but who, ever 

 passionately fond of the sport, loves to witness the schooling 

 of the young hounds. An early hour is selected, to prevent 

 the attendance of a number of persons, who, by their noise, 

 would distract the attention of the hounds. It is delightful 

 to see the pack thrown into covert at daybreak, when all is 

 freshness and joy around — when the choristers of the wood 

 are in full harmony, and everything appears fresh and 

 beautiful. The whips are placed so as to stop the hounds if 

 an old fox goes away, the object being to kill a cub and blood 

 the young hounds, thus giving them a taste of the animal 

 they are intended to hunt. The huntsman generally takes 

 out some old and steady hounds, who by their example teach 

 the young ones what they are to do; and it is astonishing how a 

 young, well-bred hound will score to the cry of an old steady 

 customer, whose voice is never mistaken by the huntsman. 

 Young foxes at this time of the year are generally easily 

 brought to hand, and a sensible huntsman will allow no 

 hallooing and cracking of whips by his servants, which serves 

 only one purpose, to frighten the young hounds and disgust 

 the old; and, as "Scrutator" says — "I have often heard, 

 when a young hound is running riot, a whipper-in hallooing 



