368 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



which will not go a yard beyond the scent, and keeps the 

 pack right.' Now if a hound, with a superior nose and 

 steadiness, were to be conspicuous at the head, it strikes 

 me that he would be more likely to be efficient in driving 

 the scent, and guiding the pack right. 



" Of the faults of hounds, if not the worst, the most 

 provoking of any is slackness. It reminds you of one 

 man taking a horse to water, whilst twenty cannot make 

 him drink. I had rather have to do with a wild hound 

 than a slack one. The two most acknowledged faults are 

 running mute and skirting. The first culprit sneaks away 

 with your fox, and foils the ground for the rest of the 

 pack should they chance to get on the line ; and the 

 second although a proof of intellect, or rather, cunning 

 is often the cause of much mischief, and always spoils the 

 business-like appearance of things, however good as to 

 extent or finish your run may be. There are, also, what 

 are called left-handed hounds not exactly skirters, but 

 apt to run wide of the pack, perhaps waiting for a turn in 

 their faA-our, but leaving the rest of the pack to do the 

 principal Avork of the day. Keep none of these sorts, how- 

 ever good they may be (and often are they very good) in 

 other respects. Then in the contrary extreme to the mute 

 is the noisy hound, which speaks (as men sometimes speak) 

 without knowing why, that is to say, without the scent of 

 a fox, and often without any scent at all. He is a fit 

 candidate for the halter, as worthless. I need not, how- 

 ever, tell you, who have so often seen hounds going their 

 best pace, and over a country which enables them to hold 

 on that best pace for a longer time than most others, that 

 there are times when three parts of a pack run mute. On 

 occasions like these, however, no fault is to be found. It 

 is not in the power of a man to run and shout at the same 

 time ; at least, he is soon blown if he attempts it. Merely 

 wild young hounds often turn out well, with proper dis- 

 cipline and work ; but incurable hare-hunters, dwellers 

 in the scent, especially in covers after the body are away, 

 those of delicate constitutions, together with the failings 

 before enumerated, ought never to be seen in your kennel ; 

 and, as these are the sort of hounds that chiefly come 

 under the denomination of drafts, it shows the difficulty 

 and labour, to say nothing of the expense, of forming a 

 pack on such a parent stock ; and, on the other hand, the 

 value of a really good pack, free from such a host of 



