2IO HARE-HUNTING AND HARRIERS 



hound or smack a whip without the huntsman's order. 

 The modem master or huntsman would scarcely agree 

 with this dictum. The whip, in hare-hunting, ought 

 to be even more self-effacing than his brother of the 

 foxhounds. Like the huntsman, he needs a sharp 

 eye and a good ear, and especially the gift of obser- 

 vation. Often the hare claps back, having run the 

 foil, and the whip, whose place is in the rear, if he 

 is keen and observant, will note her sneaking home 

 to her old quarters. When hounds and huntsman 

 come up again, or if the hounds have come to a 

 fault, the whip will then be able to inform the 

 huntsman that his quarry has returned upon her old 

 line. 



Both huntsman and whip will be in the habit of 

 counting their hounds ; and, especially, when emerging 

 from a covert, it will be the whip's duty to bring along 

 stragglers and recover lost hounds. It may some- 

 times happen that, where the Master hunts the pack 

 himself, he may depute his whip and a groom to get 

 hounds to the meet and take them home after hunting. 

 In such a case, especially on the homeward way, when 

 it is essential that hounds shall be got to their kennels 

 and supper as soon as possible, the whip, having often 

 assisted to correct riot in his hounds, will, young though 

 his age may be, remember to check any tendency to 

 riot in himself and his assistant. He will perform his 

 duties in a conscientious manner, and not be tempted 

 to linger at inns on the way. Not for him on these 

 occasions are the snug temptations of the alehouse, 

 the fascinations of red-cheeked damsels ; he must get 

 his hounds to kennel and forswear all other distrac- 

 tions. There is nothing worse for hounds, after a hard 

 day's work, than for the Hunt servants to get into the 

 habit of calling at inns on the way home. While they 



