204 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



the spot. They should then be taken home immediately, 

 no matter what the day or hour. They should not hunt 

 again for three days ; if in low condition a week would 

 not be too long a rest. By selecting upon the next occa- 

 sion the most favourite place for killing a fox, and where 

 there is little chance of changing, you may probably suc- 

 ceed in catching another. Should this be the case, the 

 hounds ought to return to the kennel. Do not let them 

 draw again if they are ever so eager. To keep them in 

 spirits they must be above their work, and you must not 

 allow them to draw for a second fox after two o'clock. 

 Long and unsatisfactory days are exceedingly prejudicial 

 to hounds, even when in high feather ; what, then, must 

 their effect be upon those which are already dispirited ? 

 Make as short days, and as short work with the foxes, as 

 you possibly can, and leave off when successful. Your 

 hounds will then soon recover themselves, and repay you 

 for your indulgence. 



Some countries are much more difficult to catch foxes 

 in than others, and a great deal depends upon how the 

 country is hunted. A large country, which is not regu- 

 larly hunted, is much more easy to kill foxes in than one 

 regularly hunted. Foxes which are not disturbed oftener 

 perhaps than once a month become, of course, fat and 

 out of condition, and fall an easy prey to a pack of hounds 

 in good heart and wind. The number of foxe§* noses 

 on the kennel door is no criterion of sport. 



I was once asked to take my hounds into a country 

 which had been lying idle for some time, and what was 

 the result ? that we killed every fox we found ; but as 

 for sport, we might as well have been rabbit-hunting 

 with beagles. Foxes, to show sport, should be kept 



