LETTER VIII. 



Every man who has read Beckford must remember the 

 anecdote of Will Crane, who swore at his whipper-in 

 because he did not get forward when the head earths at 

 Daventry were open. Many may think the huntsman 

 to blame ; but as it is the especial business of the 

 whipper-in to carry out the orders about earth stopping, 

 he must have known what earths were open and what 

 stopped, and when a fox is taking a line for a well-known 

 head of earths it is his duty to put forward to the place. 

 I have heard of various duties required of a first whip, 

 but a famous Leicestershire Squire, who once hunted the 

 Melton country, set his man to draw a gorse covert 

 on foot. The hounds were not working to his satis- 

 faction, and he hallooed out to his whipper-in, " Come 

 Jack, get off, and scratch your legs a bit." For a second 

 whipper-in it has been said that any lad will do who can 

 smack a whip. The smacking -a whip is the last ac- 

 complishment I should require in any young gentleman 

 who aspired to the honour of distinguishing himself in 

 the profession of the noble science. No greater nuisance 

 can happen to a pack of hounds than a lad who has ac- 

 quired the knack of cracking a whip well. He is per- 

 petually seeking opportunities of displaying his skill, and 

 old Boxer would as soon almost have to deal with a 



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