The Hunt Servants. 83 



differ materially from those required of hunt ser- 

 vants of other hounds. They have been dealt with 

 by many readily-accessible authorities. Captain 

 Percy Williams's advice to Tom Firr to " stay at 

 home with his hounds and wear a white neckcloth " 

 is just as full of wisdom and just as applicable to 

 the kennelman of Otter-hounds as it was when 

 spoken to a huntsman of foxhounds. 



Our kennelman and whipper-in, or whatever we 

 choose to entitle him, must be active, strong, not 

 subject to rheumatism, have a good, musical voice, 

 be a good runner — at times he will have to go as 

 fast as, or faster than, a huntsman of foot-harriers 

 — and an energetic man who never tires. Like his 

 hounds, the taller he is the better, since he will 

 be able to wade where a smaller man would be beaten. 

 I do not think it essential that he should be a 

 swimmer, or, at any rate, that he should be en- 

 couraged to swim during a hunt. A powerful 

 swimmer usually takes risks which an indifferent 

 swimmer or a man who cannot swim would avoid. 

 Moreover, swimming tires both men and hounds 

 more than anything else. Where the water is too 

 big for wading it is usually much too big for 

 hunting. 



A good man in kennels is the principal thing to be 

 sought for in a kennelman of Otter-hounds. If he 

 is a good man with hounds and brings them punctu- 



G 2 



