HORSES AND HOUNDS. 119 



opportunity until little Mischief thouglit tlie coast was clear, 

 and had come out into shorter wood, and then pounce upon her 

 like lightning, with one or two cuts of the lash. Instead of 

 rating her at the top of his voice, with a considerable quantity 

 of damson jne in addition, he would merely tell Mischief to 

 leave -that fun alone, for the next time she did it he would break 

 half the bones in her skin, I have known such a whipper-in, 

 when the young hounds were all in a charm, running riot 

 together, sit as quietly on his horse as if nothing was the matter, 

 until he saw they were in his power ; he would then dash at 

 once in among them, like a hawk into a flock of birds. I have 

 heard him, also, when he could not get at them, telling them 

 what they might expect when they met. His usual rate, "What 

 next, I wonder, hey, you mischievous curs f in his strong, angry 

 voice, was generally a sufficient hint, and all were quiet. He 

 never struck a hound unnecessarily, nor mistook Jupiter for 

 Juno, and did not very often get out of temper; but when he 

 did strike a hound, it was to such purpose that he did not soon 

 forget it. His look, too, and manner, when not pleased, were 

 too decided to be mistaken, but I never heard him crack his 

 wdiip once in a week. 



An idle, stupid fellow, with a good voice, is one of the greatest 

 nuisances that a pack of hounds can be exposed to. He fancies 

 he has always something to do, and something to say ; with not 

 sufficient tact to catch hounds when at riot, and punish them 

 in the act, he generally waits his opportunity to vent his ill- 

 humour upon them when out of covert, or perhaps when assem- 

 bled round the huntsman. Such a fellow will do much more 

 mischief than good : draft him at once. A whipper-in has no 

 right to strike a hound out of cover, much less when flying to 

 hi^ huntsman for protection. His presence ought to be his 

 security. If young hounds will not come out of cover when 

 called by the huntsman, it is the business of the whipper-in to 

 go into the covert and drive them out ; not stand outside halloo- 

 ing, that his musical voice may be heard. 



In cub hunting there is no necessity to eat up a whole litter 

 of cubs at once, as I knew a famous Leicestershire _ huntsman 

 boast of doing. One or two at most are quite sufficient to kill 

 in one day. Young foxes will often get tired altogether, after 

 the hounds have been running and changing them for an hour 

 or two. There is no merit in killing them then ; therefore, 

 when your hounds have caught one, after an hour's work, take 

 them home. That is quite sufficient for the first day. After 

 the young hounds have been out two or three times, and begin 

 to know their game, j^ou may then take them to large woodlands, 



