THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 381 



more likely points. If your pack will divide when casting, 

 so much the better ; but good hounds will be making 

 their own cast to a certain extent, whilst you are making 

 yours, by not keeping at your horse's heels, but spreading 

 as they go. 



" When you have hit upon his point, if a single hound 

 goes off with a good scent, get the body to him as quickly 

 as you can ; but not so if the scent be warm. In the latter 

 case, your hounds will be in expectation of a fresh fox, 

 and will be in a hurry ; the hound that is forward will 

 be lifted, and, in all probability, you will have to seek for 

 the scent again. Go gently, and your hounds, if steady, 

 will settle to it. Likewise, if, when at check, you are 

 hallooed to a spot where a fox has been viewed, stand still, 

 and say nothing at the moment the first two or three 

 hounds throw their tongues. If you hurry the body on 

 immediately, the scent will often be lost should the fox 

 have been a few minutes gone. Again, when a fox has 

 been viewed, and you go directly to halloo, do not take 

 your hounds to the extreme distant point at which he was 

 viewed, but about a hundred yards behind it, and for this 

 reason : if you take them to the extreme point, and they 

 do not hit off the scent at once, you have then to make 

 your cast at a venture ; whereas, if you lay them on at 

 that distance behind it, you have somewhat of a guide 

 to that extent, as to the line to which you should draw 

 them. 



" The following hints relate to hounds, either at fault, 

 or in difficulties. In trying back, hounds have this ad- 

 vantage. It is evident the fox has come the line up to 

 the point where the check occurred ; and he must be gone 

 either to the right or the left of it, or back. I make this 

 remark because so much has been said about the straight 

 running of foxes, which is far from true ; and the necessity 

 of persevering in the cast ahead with the fox, and back 

 on the foil with the hare. The more hounds spread 

 within reason in this backward cast, the better will be 

 the chance of making the cast a short one. Again, if at 

 check on a road or footpath (the latter not often run over 

 by foxes), when you observe some of your best hounds 

 failing to make it good on one side of either, it is reason- 

 able to suppose the fox is gone on the other. If your 

 hounds check in a cover in the middle of a run, and the 

 fox is viewed away from it, try and get your hounds 



