118 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



make tliem acquainted with the country ; through towns and 

 villages wliich lie in their way, and to all the places of meeting. 

 Tliey may also draw plantations and small coverts where hares 

 abound, or be taken through warrens. They should be crossed 

 also over the track of hares, when they are not in view. By 

 such means young hounds may be made handy and tractable be- 

 fore hunting commences, and the better they are instructed, the 

 less trouble they will give afterwards. Begin cub-hunting as 

 early as you can. Draw off about twelve couples of your old 

 and stanch hounds, more if they can be spared, and put them 

 and the young together, to form a pack. This is far preferable 

 to putting a few couples at a time into the body of the pack ; 

 and by this arrangement you will prevent the one and two sea- 

 son hunters from being again unsettled. The old steady hounds 

 will by their example soon teach the young what they are to 

 do, and by Christmas this pack will become as steady as the 

 other. It will also save your three and four seasoned hounds from 

 summer work. I generally began cub-hunting early in August; 

 in some countries you may begin earlier. Take your young 

 hounds the first time to an easy place, where there is a good 

 litter of foxes, and not much riot. The whipper-in should first 

 examine all the earths, to see that they are properly stopped, 

 for they are often opened by badgers and fox stealers, after the 

 earth-stopper has left the covert. Then throw your hounds 

 quietly in and let them work themselves ; don't be in a hurry, 

 and allow no hallooing and hustling. Young foxes, at this sea- 

 son of the year, are weak, and easily brought to hand ; there is 

 no occasion, therefore, for a huntsman to be in a hurry. If 

 there are rides in the coverts, where the young hounds can oc- 

 casionally catch a view of their game, you may give them a 

 turn every now and then ; but if your hounds are well bred, 

 they will generally join with the cry after the first ten minutes, 

 and in that case they are better left alone. The whippers-in 

 will be so stationed as to check them from running improper 

 game, and that is all that is required of them. Allow of no 

 hallooing and cracking of whips, which will serve only one pur- 

 pose — to frighten the young hounds and disgust the old. When 

 a hound is running riot, I have often heard a whipper-in halloo- 

 ing with all his might, and cracking his whip, and I can con- 

 ceive little Mischief safe in the high covert, chuckling within 

 herself and saying, " All that is very fine, Mr. Jack ; but I don't 

 care two straws for your cracked voice, and I shall have my 

 fun out." 



Now, T have known a quiet sensible man go down at once to 

 where the riot was, without saying a word, wait quietly his 



