THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 215 



without noticing the scent or sight of them ; and, on the 

 same day, would afterwards hunt hare Hke beagles. It is 

 quite evident that you may trust very much to the reason- 

 ing instinct of the animal hound, and that upon throwing 

 young hounds into a covert full of riot, it is far better to 

 leave them entirely alone — to let them dash off with what- 

 ever scent they may, than to commence rating them in 

 a manner which may well make them wonder what you 

 brought them there for. " Never mind them, let them 

 find it out ;" were the words of one of the best sports- 

 men of the day ; '' they will soon learn that they are 

 wrong." The old hounds, it is to be hoped, will not 

 join them ; but this allowance to the young ones — this 

 letting them have their fling, is very different from 

 cheering them on to the scent you would have them disre- 

 o^ard. It is well to let them find out the difference between 

 the scent upon which they can, without difficulty, strike, 

 and that for which they have to hunt; between that to 

 which their nature and instinct will direct them, and that 

 to which they should be encouraged, by all possible means, 

 even to the mobbing of a cub, for the sake of blooding 

 them. Whippers-in cannot be too cautious in rating 

 young hounds, on first entering ; if a young hound be 

 seen taking a scent by himself, throwing his tongue, 

 and following it eagerly, in a different direction from the 

 rest of the pack, it does not follow that he is running riot. 

 You must ascertain that he is not running fox, before cor- 



