ii6 Otters and Otter-Hunting. 



is better fitted to prepare an account of the day's 

 sport — provided he adds a capacity for descriptive 

 writing to his other accomplishments — than is the 

 forward whipper-in. 



Needless to say he should know every hound by 

 name and be a sound judge of their individual 

 character for reliability or the reverse. In this way 

 he can prove of incalculable service to the Master 

 in the field. 



His colleague in the field, the professional 

 kennel-huntsman — or kennel whipper-in, as I prefer 

 to call him — will possess all these qualities as part 

 of his regular equipment for the business by which 

 he earns his livelihood, and in addition to those 

 which fit him for his work in kennel, with which I 

 have dealt elsewhere. 



The work of the other amateur whippers-in is 

 comparatively simple. They have merely to keep 

 one eye upon the Master and the other roving for 

 the observance of shirkers and lagging hounds while 

 drawing, putting them on without unnecessary noise, 

 but not sparing the lash when a hound is rebellious 

 or running a private hunt after waterfowl, or in- 

 clined to open on riot of any sort. For the rest, 

 they may enjoy the social amenities of the Otter- 

 hunting field, and beyond assisting the Field-Master 

 or Secretary in keeping the Field from pressing on 

 hounds, preventing damage, and seeing that gates 



