LETTER II. 17 



require a clever and steady man, who has filled the 

 situation of first whipper-in or huntsman, whose charac- 

 ter will bear investigation as to sobriety and respecta- 

 bility ; a good temper is also indispensable. As the 

 breaking in of the young hounds will probably devolve 

 upon him, take care he is a quiet and patient man with 

 hounds, and you will see such conduct exercise a decided 

 influence over the pack. The best hounds may be spoiled 

 in much less time than many imagine, by a hurry-skurry 

 fellow, and a wild pack soon brought to their senses by 

 a quiet and sensible man. Hounds possess much more 

 discrimination than they are given credit for, and soon 

 assimilate themselves to their master. If he be steady, 

 they will be steady also ; if wild, they will be wild too, 

 and ready for riot and mischief. 



You must look out also for a whipper-in. Choose 

 one from a good stock, and who has been bred up in a 

 hunting establishment. Such are to be found — sons of 

 respectable huntsmen, who may possibly not have had 

 the opportunity of advancing them very far in their 

 own line of business, from no vacancy occurring in their 

 master's establishment. There is, I think, great and 

 undue importance attached to light weights in the pre- 

 sent day. I confess it has no weight with me, and never 

 had. Anything in the shape of a whipper-in under 

 eleven stone I should not object to, if he were active 

 and a good rider. I do not mean by this a hard rider. 

 I have had both light and heavy men, and found the 

 latter did not take more out of their horses, and were 

 altogether better riders over a stifily enclosed country. 

 The best whipper-in I ever had stood nearly six feet ; 

 but he was a very wiry and elastic fellow ; no useless 



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