94 THE COMPLETE FOXHUNTER 



their noses. If there is really a check and a general 

 pulling up he soon finds that others are now as well 

 placed as he is, and when that happens he begins to 

 edge away from the crowd, when he should be standing 

 perfectly still. In the excitement of a run he apparently 

 studies no one's feelings or desires but his own. His 

 knowledge of hunting, his respect for the master are 

 thrown to the winds, and he is governed for the time 

 being with the one idea that he must beat every one. 



But on a day of moderate scent when hounds can 

 only run at times he does even more harm than on a 

 good scenting day, for he is always too far forward, 

 and will not give hounds a chance. On a really bad 

 scenting day he may not think it worth his while to give 

 an exhibition of his riding prowess, and when he has 

 made up his mind to this course of action he is the 

 most harmless of the field, spending his day amidst the 

 rank and file of the crowd, and not attempting to go 

 near hounds unless some unforeseen change in the 

 conditions of hunting should occur. 



There are, however, days when scent is not good, nor 

 yet very bad ; days on which great pace is maintained 

 for three or four fields, with a total collapse immediately 

 afterwards ; days on which hounds start from covert 

 time after time, on good terms with a fox, and yet come 

 to a check in eight or ten minutes. On such occasions 

 scent is best described as '' catchy " ; brilliant for a few 

 minutes, and then almost non-existent for a time. 

 When this happens hounds will fly for the first few 

 fields, and, if let alone, will do their best to work out 

 the puzzle afterwards, but when there is a huge field 

 and over-riders are prominent they have little chance of 

 doing themselves justice, and in many countries it is 

 the over-rider who is alone to blame. 



