78 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



also have decision of character and command of temper, 

 with sober and industrious habits. In my time, I have 

 had several pupils in this line, but only tv^^o ever turned 

 out to my satisfaction. There are many temptations 

 thrown in their way, and therefore, unless they have 

 decision of character to resist them, they will certainly 

 fail. I once wrote to the famous John Ward for the cha- 

 racter of a whipper-in, who had left his service ; his reply 

 was in these words, and quite sufficient to satisfy me : — 



''Dear Sir, 



" In reply to your letter, I beg to say, that if John B n had been 



worth keeping I should not have parted with him. 



*' Yours truly, " J. WARD." 



Whippers-in should be cleanly also, but not conceited. 

 My father once cured the conceit of his whipper-in for a 

 time, at least, in a very summary way. Jack was a 

 spruce lad, but had rather too high an opinion of his 

 good looks, and one fine morning, having a new and 

 dandy pair of top-boots on, he could not keep his eyes 

 ofi* them. The governor told him to mind his business 

 and not his new boots, or he would have them blacked 

 over, tops and all, the next day ; but it would not do. 

 Jack had never been fitted so nicely before, and he could 

 not help admiring them notwithstanding. The hounds 

 were running in covert ; Jack, galloping along on the 

 outside with his legs stretched out and head down, at a 

 sudden turn, came full tilt against the governor, who 

 was riding in the contrary direction, and he would have 

 unhorsed him, but my father, having caught a glimpse 

 of Jack coming along, had prepared for the charge, and 

 met him with such a facer from the double thong, that 

 he knocked Jack clean out of the saddle, and spoilt his 

 good looks for that day at least. This cooled Jack's 



