THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 173 



of the line of country bounding Hertfordshire on the 

 north, there are not the same reasons to account for 

 the sudden loss of a good scent. A huntsman must be 

 more alive to contingencies, and although there, I 

 would far rather inculcate the principle of leaving them 

 alone, than that of meddling with them too much ; he 

 must be quicker in resolve, and may venture more in the 

 part which he has himself to play. Hounds may 

 throw up entirely upon fallow, or new-sown land ; they 

 may not run a yard ; but when gently lifted over it, 

 they set-to ^again, without the recurrence of another 

 such mischance, till they are on better terms with their 

 fox ; but if they throw up in the middle of a large grass 

 field, when they have been running breast high, unless 

 some large flock of sheep, or herd of cattle, have foiled 

 the ground, it can very rarely happen that the fox is 

 forward ; he cannot have vanished into air ; if his 

 line is there, and they cannot own it, they cannot run 

 him anywhere ; he is irrecoverably gone ; there is no 

 reason to suppose that a burning scent has in a moment 

 changed to no scent whatever ; although wonderful 

 changes do occur, in this essential, within very short 

 space of time : he must have turned so short, right or 

 left, that the whole body have comj^letely overrun him. 

 This is more probable when they are carrying a perfect 

 head, than if, on a more moderate scent, some stragglers 

 had been dwelling independently on the line ; and 

 hounds, on such occasions, appear more at a nonplus — 

 more in consternation at their failure. The huntsman 



