HUNTING 61 



The other occasion was not very dissimilar. 

 We had started with a capital scent on a very 

 favourite line, but after running about a mile and 

 a half there was a sudden check. There was 

 nothing to account for it, but no doubt the fox 

 had been headed, for while the huntsman was 

 holding the pack on in the usual direction, a young 

 hound came back through the fence and took up 

 the running (but without throwing its tongue), at 

 such a pace that the same young whip as before 

 could not get up to him till he reached the end 

 of a very long field. "Look at that idiot going 

 to spoil our run ! " was my comment to those with 

 me, and sure enough he did so, for after repeat- 

 ing his former tactics of stopping the hound, and 

 then view-holloaing to the huntsman, who was 

 virtually in the same field, we crawled on for 

 a few fields and then were obliged to give it up. 

 It is not possible to lay to heart a few proverbial 

 phrases, and then to apply them indiscriminately 

 on every occasion, and meet with success ! 



When drawing woods with many rides in them, 

 especially if they are wide ones, the whippers-in 

 must be ever on the alert to prevent skirting, for 

 some hounds get very cunning about getting a 

 view, and prefer to use their eyes rather than 

 their noses, and leave others to perform the more 

 toilsome part of forcing the fox through thick 

 covert. 



Q. When a fox leaves the covert, should a 

 holloa be given at once ? 



A. If the huntsman is within sight only a 

 cap, or hat, should be raised to warn the hunts- 

 man. If the latter should be out of sight the fox 

 should be allowed to go through the fence into 



