204 HARE-HUNTING AND HARRIERS 



a good deal of work and anxiety, is an extremely 

 interesting one. In fact, if a man is fond of his 

 business, as he ought to be, and usually is, the 

 pleasure of hunting a pack of hounds, whether they 

 be harriers or foxhounds, far outweighs the pains 

 and difficulties, though the latter, too, must sometimes 

 occur. 



A quiet huntsman is a necessity with harriers. 

 There is no great hurry, the hare is always above 

 ground, and it is essential that hounds shall be dis- 

 turbed as little as possible in their work. Too often a 

 noisy huntsman, or a shouting whip, gets hounds' heads 

 up, and sport is thereby spoiled. I like to hear a harrier 

 huntsman with a good and cheerful voice. Yet he 

 should be chary of using it ; now and again, when 

 hounds need encouragement, a few words are useful ; 

 and it is essential that hounds should understand and 

 obey notes of command and reproval when they are 

 scattered, or running riot or heel. A good ear in a 

 harrier huntsman is a most excellent thing. He should 

 be able to distinguish the note of every hound, and he 

 can then tell in a moment, as he hears a whimper or 

 a challenge, whether the line is right or not. If scent 

 is good — and whether it is or not is very quickly ap- 

 parent — hounds will hunt themselves, and require no 

 aid from the huntsman until a check happens. Even 

 then the huntsman will allow them plenty of time 

 to make their own casts and hit off the line for 

 themselves. In drawing he will take care that 

 hounds do not stick too closely to his heels, but 

 spread out to their work, not leaving the finding 

 of the hare to some more painstaking or more 

 sagacious human being. Some cheery words of 

 encouragement, when drawing, are by no means out 

 of place. 



