124 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



like to go back again to be wliipper-in." This man reasoned 

 rightly, and knew himself better, perhaps, than he then thought. 

 It so happened that the establishment in which he had acted so 

 satisfactory a part as whipper-in, was soon afterwards broken 

 tip by the death of his master. The huntsman retired, and 

 being very strongly urged by the new master and the country 

 gentlemen to hunt the hounds, he reluctantly complied, but his 

 forebodings came true ; he failed in his new situation as hunts- 

 man, and after a year's trial gave it up in disgust, and retired 

 upon his earnings. This is not a solitary case. 



It has been asserted by Beckford, that a first whipper-in 

 should be able to hunt the hounds occasionally — in fact, be a 

 second huntsman. This I admit should be the case ; for a 

 whipper-in, who has had many years' experience, and been 

 looking on at the game so long, must be a monstrous goose 

 not to be able to handle the cards at a pinch, when the hunts- 

 man might, from accident or illness, be unable to be at 

 his post. 



I have known, however, a good deal of mischief done in a 

 very short space of time by one of these would-be huntsmen ; it 

 happened with my own hounds. From an accident, I was laid 

 up for about a month in the heart of the season, and of course 

 my first whip was obliged (not very reluctantly I fancied) to 

 fill my place. He was one ot the best men in that capacity I 

 ever had, or almost ever knew, but too hasty and impatient to 

 make a good huntsman, before he had cooled down a little. The 

 hard riders of my field were very fond of him, and in high glee 

 (so much for gratitude) when they heard of my being laid on the 

 shelf for some time, and Master Jem to play first fiddle. 

 " Now," they said, " we shall have it all our own way ; with the 

 S(iuire on his back, and Jem with the horn, wont we have 

 some clipping bursts, and no hold hards, with a kill in the open, 

 after a twenty-five minutes' burst !" I gave my whipper-in cer- 

 tain advice as to his behaviour with the hounds, but I could see 

 he was rather too much prepossessed with his own anticipated 

 grand performances to pay much attention to it, and he left my 

 room for his first essay, with grand ideas of what he should do. 

 Evening came, and Jem to make his report, but no fox's head. 

 Scent was bad, and the hounds would not attend to him. 

 " Never mind," I said, " this is only what I expected ; better 

 luck is coming." 



The next fixture was in our best grass country, with a good 

 flying fox or two in it. Having cautioned him again not to be 

 in a hurry with the hounds when they came to check, Jem set 

 out on liis second trial. Wlien he returned it was very late, 



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