HOESES AND HOUNDS. 149 



the himtsman begins hallooing and screaming, the whippers-in 

 following suit, and half the field joining in the hue and cry, 

 your fox will be headed back ; the hounds becoming wild with 

 excitement, will dash over the scent, and, "Act 1st," a failure. 

 A good fox will make his point, after all, so you may as well, 

 and better, let him have it at once. 



In the early part of the season, when the hazel coverts are 

 disturbed by nutters and shooters, the most likely places to find 

 foxes are in the short underwood of two years' growth and gorse 

 coverts. In fine weather they will often lie in turnip fields and 

 hedge-rows. When hunting begins, crafty old foxes generally 

 resort to such out-of-the-w^ay places, and that is the reason they 

 are so seldom found, the young foxes always falling the first 

 victims. In drawing large coverts, the huntsman should try 

 first the most likely part of them, which will depend in a great 

 measure on the day. In stormy and windy weather foxes will 

 resort to the most sheltered situations; but there are always 

 favourite spots in all coverts where they are most likely to be 

 found, and these are of course known to every huntsman who is 

 acquainted with his country. 



When thrown into covert, I like to see hounds spread wide, 

 and draw eagerly ; not one should be at the horse's heels. Some 

 men have a trick, and a very bad one it is, of keeping a few 

 couples of idle hounds dangling after them, ready for a start, or 

 to throw in when the fox crosses the rides. Such a practice is 

 very injurious to the hounds so employed, and will make them 

 careless and of little value, when hard work is before them. 

 Some huntsmen also allow the first whipper-in. to hunt the 

 hounds in covert, or rather to help draw with them, for what rea- 

 son I could never yet discover, except to save themselves 

 trouble. Such is not the business of a whipper-in, and more 

 tlian that, he has no right to speak even to a hound in 

 covert, unless to stop or rate him. When the hounds_ are 

 drawing large woodlands, the place of the first whipper-in is 

 forward in some drive, ride, or crossing, in the direction the 

 hounds are trying — he will be as silent as a mouse, and watch 

 not only with his eyes w^ell open, but ears also, to see and 

 hear all that is moving. Wlien the hounds cross over, he will 

 again shift his ground quickly but silently, and take up an- 

 other position, where he may observe all that is going on. 

 Should he view the fox cross over, he will of course halloo, 

 and when the hounds are once settled to the scent, his duty 

 is to be away again elsewhere. When drawing small coverts, 

 spinneys, or gorse, the place of the first whipper-in is outside, 

 in that spot from which, without being seen himself, he may 



