130 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



The duties of a wliippev-in as to earths — Second whip ; youths too fond of 

 using it — How an old sportsman usually broke them in — The Pastor and 

 Farmer Coulter — Tom, my whipper-in — Patience required in a master 

 of hounds — Heading foxes — Every man out not a sportsman — Temper 

 must be restrained in a master ; swearing quite unnecessary— Myself, 

 when young, and Farmer Steers — On the yeomen and farmers of 

 England; injudicious and unjust abuse too frequently levelled at them. 



EvEEY man who lias read Beckford must remember the anec- 

 dote of Will Crane, who swore at his whipper-in because he did 

 not get forward when the head earths at Daventry were open. 

 Many may think the huntsman to blame ; but as it is the espe- 

 cial business of the whipper-in to carry out the orders about 

 earth-stopping, he must have known what earths were open and 

 what stopped, and when a fox is taking a line for a well-known 

 head of earths it is his duty to put forward to the place. 



I have heard of various duties required of a first whip, but a 

 famous Leicestershire squire, who once hunted the Melton 

 country, set his man to draw a gorse covert on foot. The hounds 

 were not working to his satisfaction, and he hallooed out to his 

 whipper-in, " Come, Jack, get off, and scratch your legs a bit." 

 For a second whipper-in it has been said that any lad will do 

 who can smack a whip. The smacking a whip is the last 

 accomplishment I should require in any young gentleman who 

 aspired to the honour of distinguishing himself in the profes- 

 sion of the noble science. No greater nuisance can happen to 

 a pack of hounds than a lad who has acquired the knack of 

 cracking a whip well. He is perpetually seeking opportunities 

 of displaying his skill, and old Boxer would as soon almost have 

 to deal with a rattlesnake. On foot he does not care much 

 about the urchin, and gives him to understand by surly growls 

 and bristles up that he had better keep his distance, but on 

 horseback he is out of Boxer's reach, and is a perfect tyrant, 

 flicking him in the legs when he wants to stop behind for cer- 

 tain purposes, and trying to ride over him into the bargain. 



An old sportsman I knew well had a very good plan of break- 

 ing in lads for whippers-in. Upon putting a whip into his 

 pupil's hands for the first time, he generally gave him just a 

 taste at starting, with " Well, Jack, does it hurt f — " Oh, yes, 

 sir, it do uncommon." " So I thought, my lad ; now mind you 

 don't use it too often with the liounds, for they can feel as well 

 as you." Then, if he saw one riding his horse too hard up hill 



