82 Otters and Otter-Hunting. 



Yet how often one sees it done by old as well as 

 young whippers-in, by professionals as well as by 

 amateurs ! If a young hound has been well rated, 

 called, and still refuses to obey the huntsman's 

 voice and horn, the whipper-in should go to him 

 where he is " babbling " at the mouth of a rabbit- 

 burrow or what-not, and if he can get close enough 

 and behind him while the hound is in the act of 

 " rioting," should hit him hard once with a " 'ware 

 rabbit," '' leave it," or " get on to him," uttered 

 simultaneously with the stroke. To strike at and 

 miss him, and go plunging about among the under- 

 growth in order to get a second chance, is worse 

 than useless, and only teaches young hounds how 

 to dodge an incompetent whipper-in. I have known 

 a whipper-in of this sort to keep hounds constantly 

 making " music " (to match that of his own voice) 

 along five miles of river. Needless to say, no 

 " drag " was spoken to, and no Otter found all the 

 way. 



If such a whipper-in is not amenable to verbal 

 reprimand, his whip should be taken away and 

 he made to work without it. If that does not 

 take it out of both his voice and his legs there is 

 nothing for it but to draft him. He has probably 

 mistaken his vocation, and might do better as a 

 stock-rider on some Otter-less prairie. 



In kennels the duties of the kennelman do not 



