THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 387 



couples, which will allow for the ravages of the distemper, 

 should it attack them, and also admit of a second draft. 

 By no means enter your young hounds to hare. It is a 

 practice not founded in reason ; on the contrary, it is, 

 by opposing the natural propensities of the animal, after 

 having encouraged them, an unjustifiable exercise of our 

 dominion over him. 



"You will, of course, go through the process of cub- 

 hunting. On this subject I have only to observe begin 

 as soon as you can, and follow it up stoutly. Exclusive of 

 the necessity of entering and blooding your hounds, by 

 moving young foxes, you will make them safer from the 

 fox-takers ; and those which may be left in the country 

 will fly when found by your pack further on in the season. 

 But don't think too highly of blood further on in the 

 season. That it is desirable there cannot be a question, 

 when obtained by fair means, and well-deserved ; but 

 that it is essential to sport, I deny. "Weather admitting 

 of good scent is essential, if you please ; but I can name 

 one of the first packs in England which had the best week's 

 sport they ever had since they were a pack, after nine 

 days' hunting, without tasting blood. Staghounds rarely 

 taste blood, and what hounds run faster, or work harder ? 



" It has been said that a run with foxhounds should 

 resemble a successful battle that it should be 'sharp, 

 short, and decisive.' My idea of a truly good run is not 

 exactly this. I think it should be not less than an hour, 

 and with at least two checks. I mean to say, there should 

 be difficulties in the course of it, the overcoming of which 

 proclaims the credit of both hounds and huntsman. I 

 would divide it thus : I would have twenty-five minutes, 

 best pace, with a right good scent. Next, a check well 

 recovered, but not until the hounds and horses had 

 recovered their wind, and, even then, I like seeing the 

 pack brought to hunting, but at a fair pace, for about 

 fifteen more minutes. I would now wish to see my fox well 

 hunted up to, and finish with running into him at the end 

 of the remaining twenty minutes, at very best pace. Runs 

 exceeding an hour are liable to two objections ; they are 

 tiresome to hounds and horses, and are not what is called 

 business-like. For my own part, I have always seen more 

 satisfaction expressed by my field, after a very smart burst 

 of half an hour, than at the end of a run which we may 

 call a journey. 



