HORSES AND HOUNDS. 159 



speaking, is running home, and belongs to tlie country lie is 

 running into ; you may catcli liim, if you can, before he reaches 

 your neighbour's earths ; but if he reaches them he is considered 

 safe, and you have nothing more to do than to take your 

 hounds away. Were a whipper-in permitted to ride forward 

 and stop the earths, the huntsman might choose to find a fresh 

 fox in his neighbour's coverts, and, knowing the earths to be 

 stopped, take that opportunity of killing him there. 



There is often a great deal of jealous feeling between hunts- 

 men of neighbouring packs, and often, I regret to say, with the 

 masters themselves, which ought not to exist. " Do to others 

 as you would they should do unto you" is a maxim which 

 should never be forgotten. He who takes an unfair oppor- 

 tunity of doing an unfriendly action towards his neighbour, I 

 care not in what relation of life, may rest assured that, sooner 

 or later, " with the same measure he metes to others, it will be 

 measured to himself again." If you run a fox into your neigh- 

 bour's country, you may follow him as long and as far as your 

 hounds can own the scent, but you have no right to cast them 

 into any of his coverts, if the hounds cannot hold the line of 

 scent into them. It is but an act of courtesy, if your hounds 

 are running into your neighbour's country, with an indifferent 

 scent, and likely to disturb coverts which he has fixed to draw 

 the same week, to stop your hounds at once, and return for a 

 fresh fox. Friendly acts like these are sure to be appreciated, 

 and will tend to strengthen those good feelings which should 

 prevail with brother sportsmen. 



Having been myself a master of fox-hounds for many years, I 

 know how necessary it is that a good understanding should 

 exist between adjoining hunts, and I have also seen the ill 

 effects of a contrary feeling. The enemies of fox-hunting are 

 not slow to take advantage of any rupture between masters of 

 hounds, and a little flame, when adroitly fanned, will soon 

 become a devouring element, and the whole country be involved 

 in a general conflagration. It is much to be regretted that a 

 club has never yet been formed by masters of fox-hounds, such 

 as the Jockey Club, to whose decision disputes might be referred 

 . -when there existed any just grounds of questionable legality — 

 as to occupancy of, or title to country. Such a club was 

 attempted some few years since by Lord Hawke and other influen- 

 tial and well-disposed masters of hounds, but soon fell to the 

 ground, from the want, I should say, of an active secretary, 

 who ought to have first been appointed, to carry such a measure 

 into effect. Masters of hounds have generally their hands full 

 of business, and dislike taking upon themselves more; but, 



