LETTER XXITI. 251 



having then just twenty miles to toddle home in the 

 dark. 



A good ear is of essential service to a huntsman, v^ith- 

 out which he cannot be a complete master of his art. 

 When hounds are running their fox in covert, a fine ear 

 will be able to distinguish the distance between them, 

 and detect in a moment any alteration in the scent. If he 

 is on good terms with his fox when he enters the covert, 

 there is not so much likelihood of the hounds changing, 

 but if with a bad scent, and the hounds suddenly begin 

 running hard, he should be then on the alert, as the 

 chances are there is a fresh fox before them. A hunted 

 fox will never allow hounds to get too near to him, as 

 long as he has the power to keep out of their way. The 

 scent of the hunted fox also is very inferior to that of 

 one fresh found, and this will direct an observant hunts- 

 man. Upon these occasions it is that the services of a 

 clever whipper-in are of the greatest use. He will get 

 forward to the end of the covert before the hounds enter 

 it, and be careful not to halloa any fox but the hunted 

 one. Should the hounds carry the scent through, he 

 will signal the huntsman, and keep forward with the 

 hounds until his arrival. 



Beckford says he would rather have a first-rate whip- 

 per-in and a secondary huntsman, than vice versa. I 

 quite agree with him in this remark. A whipper-in has 

 quite as many opportunities of showing his talents as a 

 huntsman, and upon him often depends the successful 

 termination of a hard day's work. With him also rests, 

 to a very great extent, the steadiness of the hounds. A 

 clever whipper-in will at once discern the hunted fox 

 from a fresh one ; whereas a stupid fellow will halloa 



