34 Modern Dogs. 



does not matter how often the runner is changed. He should caress 

 and make much of the pups and then let them see him start, but 

 get out of their sight as quickly as possible and run in a straight 

 line, say two hundred yards up wind on grass-land, and then hide 

 himself. The man who hunts the pups should know the exact 

 line taken, and take the pups over it, trying to encourage them to 

 hunt until they get to their man, who should reward them with a 

 bit of meat. This may have to be repeated several times before 

 they really get their heads down ; but when they have once begun 

 to hunt they improve rapidly and take great delight in the quest. 

 Everything should be made as easy as possible at first and the 

 difficulties increased very gradually. This may be done by hav- 

 ing the line crossed by others, by increasing the time before the 

 pups are laid on, or by crossing roads, &c. When the pups get 

 old enough they should be taught to jump boldly and to swim 

 brooks where necessary. When young hounds have begun to run 

 fairly well it will be found very useful to let the runner carry a 

 bundle of sticks two feet or two feet six inches long, pointed at 

 one end and with a piece of white paper in a cleft at the other end. 

 When he makes a turn or crosses a fence he should put one of 

 these sticks down and incline it in the direction he is going to 

 take next. This will give the person hunting the hounds some 

 idea of the correctness of their work, though the best hounds do 

 not always run the nearest to the line. On a good scenting day I 

 have seen hounds running hard fifty yards or more to leeward of 

 the line taken. These sticks should be taken up when done with, 

 or they may be found misleading on some other occasion. The 

 hounds will soon learn to cast themselves or try back if they over- 

 run the line, and should never receive any assistance so long as 

 they continue working on their own account. It is most impor- 

 tant that they should become self-reliant. The line should be 

 varied as much as possible. It is not well to run hounds over 

 exactly the same course they have been hunted on some previous 

 occasion. If some hounds are much slower than the rest it is best 

 to hunt them by themselves, or they may get to " score to cry," as 



