174 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



may make a brisk swinging cast, dovvn-wincl, unless the 

 more likely points of country for a fox to make, present 

 an obvious reason for the reverse. If he casts quickly, 

 in a half circle forward, and completes the whole round, 

 it is a hundred to one against hounds crossing the 

 line without acknowledging it, if they are not too much 

 hurried ; presuming that there is not any road, or great 

 variety of ground, creating the difficulties to which we 

 have supposed them liable in the upper country, where 

 they might cross the line a dozen times ineffectually. It 

 saves much time, where every moment is an object, if 

 the pack can be divided ; one half casting in a contrary 

 direction, with the master, or first whip, and meeting 

 the huntsman to the rear, if neither should have suc- 

 ceeded in hitting him forward : but always make the first 

 cast sufficiently forward ; there is plenty of time to hold 

 back, when it is certain that the fox has not held on, 

 when fairly committed to a country. This observation 

 does not, of course, apply to a check, up-wind, in the first 

 ten minutes, or to the reasonable supposition, that the 

 fox has been headed ; but if you cast back, in the first 

 instance (according to a rule in beagling after a hare), 

 should you fail, you are too late to make good anything 

 forward, without lifting them, at a hand gallop, back 

 again, in a manner conveying to the whole field 

 the knowledge of your admission of a positive error. 

 Should you then hit him forward, you will yourself feel, 

 and have your pains rewarded by hearing, that if this 

 had been done at once, it would have made all the dif- 



