HORSES AND HOUNDS. 75 



great prevalence of game preserves, a fox lias no difficulty in 

 supplying his larder with all the delicacies of the season, in 

 which he revels and then goes to sleep. What condition, then, 

 is he likely to be in, to run a burst before a lot of lean and 

 hungry hounds, which are at him before he has scarcely time 

 to shake himself up out of his heavy nap 1 Every allowance 

 must be made, however, for huntsmen in the fast countries ; 

 they have a very difficult game to play, and it is sometimes out 

 of their power to show sport or have a run with two or three 

 hundred horsemen, few of them sportsmen, rattling away at the 

 tail of the hounds, all intent upon their own business, and eager 

 for a front place; hounds and huntsmen must go on, or be 

 ridden over. It is surprising to see how the body of the pack 

 thread their way through the horses, when with the first few 

 couples which get away with their fox, the whole cavalcade is 

 in rapid motion. I have seen a field of three hundred horsemen 

 go away with the fox and two couples of hounds ; as long as 

 the scent holds good at head, the huntsman has nothing to do 

 but keep as forward as he can, but should the fox turn short, 

 right or left, he is then in difficulties ; a forward cast he is 

 aware, or ought to be, is the least likely under such circum- 

 stances to recover the scent, but it is his only chance of getting 

 out of the crowd which is pressing upon him. Knowledge 

 of country, and the run of foxes generally, are his chief 

 dependence ; he must make a wide cast, right or left, as he may 

 deem most likely to cross the line, and if that fails, the afiair is 

 over, and the run spoilt. In such a case, and in this only, I 

 would advise the pack to be divided ; the huntsman and iirst 

 whip trying both ways at the same time. Fast hounds, of the 

 Jlash and dash order, will go over the scent, with horses pressing 

 them, for two or three hundred yards, often farther ; but gicick 

 hounds will turn with it, and seldom be far off the line. There 

 never has been any doubt amongst those of real practical know- 

 ledge on hunting, that the pace of all well-bred fox-hounds is 

 very nearly, if not quite equal ; the difference in speed is easily 

 accounted for, by the difference of countries, difference of treat- 

 ment, and difference of scent • and this will appear most reason- 

 able when we consider that all the packs of hounds now going 

 are descended principally from four or five large kennels. 



