LETTER XIT. 127 



earths ; but T cannot admit the justice of any such pre- 

 tended law. A fox found in one country, and running 

 into another, generally speaking, is running home, and 

 belongs to the country he is running into; you may 

 catch him, if you can, before he reaches your neighbour's 

 earths ; but if he reaches them he is considered safe, and 

 you have nothing more to do, than to take your hounds 

 away. Were a whipper-in permitted to ride forward and 

 stop the earths, the huntsman might choose to find a fresh 

 fox in his neighbour's coverts, and, knowing the earths to 

 be stopped, take that opportunity of killing him there. 



There is often a great deal of jealous feeling between 

 huntsmen of neighbouring packs, and often, I regret to 

 say, with the masters themselves, which ought not to 

 exist. " Do to others as you would they should do 

 unto you" is a maxim which should never be forgotten. 

 He who takes an unfair opportunity of doing an un- 

 friendly action towards his neighbour, I care not in what 

 relation of life, may rest assured that, sooner or later, 

 " with the same measure he metes to others, it will be 

 measured to himself again." If you run a fox into your 

 neighbour's country, you may follow him as long and as 

 far as your hounds can own the scent, but you have no 

 right to cast them into any of his coverts, if the hounds 

 cannot hold the line of scent into them. It is but an act 

 of courtesy, if your hounds are running into your neigh- 

 bour's country, with an indifferent scent, and likely to 

 disturb coverts, which he has fixed to draw the same 

 week, to stop your hounds at once, and return for a fresh 

 fox. Friendly acts like these are sure to be appreciated, 

 and will tend to strengthen those good feelings which 

 should prevail with brother sportsmen. 



