214 HARE-HUNTING AND HARRIERS 



and breaking them from riot, and by feeding them 

 after drawing each by name, and otherwise getting 

 control over hounds in the summer season, it is seldom 

 that any occasion occurs for the office of the whip.* 



" If the huntsman rides well to them, he is always 

 near enough to them to interfere when this is wanted ; 

 and the hounds are not cowed by the needless display 

 of power, which, if placed in the hands of a whip, is 

 sure to be exercised. 



" But the critical eye of the Master is always em- 

 ployed, though he may otherwise be idle, in watching 

 the actions of each hound, and noting his hunting and 

 his pace, also in detecting skirting and babbling, and 

 in deciding all the various qualities which will lead 

 him to draft certain hounds or to breed from 

 others. This is interest sufficient for any man ; and 

 to a real lover of hunting it is a most delightful amuse- 

 ment. . . . Harriers or beagles may easily be handled 

 when well matched; but it is in the matching that the 

 huntsman's power is shown. He therefore requires 

 a great knowledge of individual character in the 

 hounds, so as to select those only which exhibit what 

 he wants in great perfection to breed from, and to 

 cross with those which will develop still further 

 those good qualities or suppress the bad ones." " The 

 whipper-in (adds ' Stonehenge ') should be a mere 

 groom, solely intended as a second pair of hands to 

 those of the Master ; and he should never be allowed 

 to use them without orders." This is somewhat too 

 sweeping. I would prefer to assume that, at the 

 beginning of the season, the whip is well drilled by 

 his Master or huntsman into the nature of his duties, 

 which are simple enough. If the Master had to shout 



* With this I do not agree. A whip is necessary, if he be 

 only one of the field who understands the duties. 



