LETTER XIX. 213 



the kennel before nine o'clock. Some nights I could 

 scarcely see my horse's head before me, much less the 

 hounds, but they never would go far from me, until I 

 approached the last field near the kennel, when the horn 

 sounding my approach, they scampered on to the kennel 

 door, and there waited until I dismounted. Huntsmen 

 and whippers-in are all too fond of discipline or the lash, 

 for that they look upon as the only means of enforcing 

 obedience. No opinion can be more erroneous; kind 

 treatment would save themselves much unnecessary trou- 

 ble, and their hounds often barbarous usage. Nothino- 

 made me more angry than to see a whipper-in strike a 

 hound unnecessarily in the field. With both horses and 

 dogs I have invariably found that kind words will have 

 a more powerful effect than hard blows. 



