I70 Otters and Otter-Hunling. 



feathering or even giving tongue at a " touch " a 

 day or two old. Time is then lost in going back to 

 where the drag ended and trying for the quarry 

 down stream. Here I may say that a huntsman 

 should make an invariable practice — wherever it is 

 not actually impossible — to have hounds on both 

 banks at the same time and to keep the kennel 

 whipper-in on the opposite bank to himself. The 

 more a drag improves as he goes on the more 

 necessary it is to draw carefully and to forbear from 

 " pressing " hounds forward. 



It is also of importance to cultivate a quiet 

 manner of hunting. The silent huntsman is usually 

 not very successful, for hounds and Field alike are 

 in ignorance of what he thinks or wishes them to do. 

 Hounds work better for encouragement : a cheery 

 but not too loud '' Try for him, my lads ! " '' Wind 

 him, there!" with the commendatory mention of 

 particular hounds' names when you see them work- 

 ing especially well or painstakingly, is essential to 

 success. Leaving hounds severely alone on principle 

 is a bad and old-fashioned plan. On the contrary, 

 a Master who is always shouting instructions to 

 hounds, whippers-in, and Field is still worse. 

 Hounds get their heads up and are staring about for 

 instructions, the whippers-in hang behind and keep 

 out of sight until called, and the Field persists in 

 doing wrong until shouted at. If a Master wants 



