THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 171 



are moved, and as it is hopeless attempting to pick out 

 a scent amongst the steam of cavahy, to say nothing 

 of their tramphng over it, the hmitsman hfts them in 

 a semicircular direction towards the point to which the 

 fox was leaning, and towards which the old hounds 

 have been inclining. Look up the hedge green, — " hoic ! 

 hoic ! to Handmaid." She has hit him off, with Ritual 

 and Baneful ; she is running mute ; they are all at him 

 again, as though he were just fresh found. 



And now is the scurry for the second heat. Hold 

 hard, gentlemen, one moment ; let them get together — 

 let them settle again ; but this is too much to expect. 

 When a burst has lasted beyond ten minutes, the field 

 become very orderly and select ; they sober down won- 

 derfully if the scent be really good, and make a merit of 

 what is akin to necessity, in the room which they allow 

 the hounds ; but with second wind, gained just in the 

 beginning of a really good thing, with a fair chance of 

 distancing the second flight, who have only just come 

 up, without any hope of a pull, where is the use of cry- 

 ing, "Hold hard"? " Dum vivimiis, vivarmis," we must 

 live with them while we can. Onward they push — some 

 level with the leading hound, and the others clattering 

 straight after them, in a manner which might drive 

 them on to Highgate, were they not too steady to be 

 capable of running far without a scent ; but there is no 

 harm done as yet; the majority of this first flight are as 



