108 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



make myself master of the heavy work, and if pos- 

 sible to teach the best foxes to fly. Let all young 

 sportsmen lay this down as a rule, that not only 

 the fox, who has a more than common share of 

 reason and cunning in his head, but every animal 

 of chase, has full sense enough to know when he is 

 safe ; and if a huntsman permits his foxes to find 

 out that he can neither make them break, nor kill 

 them in large covers (in the large covers during the 

 best part of the hunting season they will be), he 

 will find his open country deserted. No man knew 

 a fox better than my father's huntsman, Tom Old- 

 aker ; and no man understood the fox better than 

 Lord Fitzhardinge : than Lord Fitzhardinge's pre- 

 sent huntsman the annals of sporting could not 

 show a better. Harry Ayris is always with his 

 hounds, a first-rate rider over a country, quick 

 as lightning when he should be so, and patient and 

 quiet when hounds ought to be let alone ; and, in 

 addition to this, as fine a sportsman, and as good a 

 servant as ever had the charo-e of a masrnificent 

 kennel. It was said of Tom Oldaker, that when 

 tliere was little or no scent to serve him, he could 

 " guess a fox to death." In these few words lies the 

 greater portion of a huntsman's field duty. He 

 should be able, when the hounds are thoroughly at a 

 loss, to assist them ; and while their noses are down 

 in vain, his head should be up in thought as to the 

 probable point for which the fox was making. 



In summer, every day that niy hounds were fit, 



taking care never to jade them, and after sufficient 

 work, if possible always to leave off on the death of 

 a fox, — found me in one place or other of the great 

 woodlands ; and Avhen I discovered that the foxes would 



