The Woodland Pijtchley. 147 



centage of run foxes are, perhaps, accounted for in wood- 

 lands ttian in tlie open ; for, besides tlie advantage of 

 a more consistent scent, hounds meet with few of the 

 interruptions they have to contend against outside. 

 Roads, along which the one old hound can alone 

 puzzle out the line (and that only if he is not at once 

 ridden over or surrounded) — fallow soil, dusty or 

 clinging — sheep to huddle, in their provoking foolish- 

 ness, across the very track — cattle to soil the herbage 

 — manure to taint both earth and air — footfolk to 

 drive poor reynard back in his footsteps or to send 

 terror and excitement on the breeze — all these are 

 wanting in forest hunting ; and a virgin soil and an 

 unhampered course remain in their stead. Hounds 

 can then work for themselves — and work much better 

 than when continually assisted. They can get back 

 readily to the point at which they were first at fault.* 

 And thus it is that woodlands are so good — nay, so 

 necessary — a school for young hounds. It is there 

 only that they learn self-reliance, and the art of hunt- 

 ing their game. 



Again, although it is not given to everyone to 

 like woodland hunting, there is a strong section of 

 honest sportsmen to whom it recommends iuself with 

 intense force. The taste may be as inexplicable to 



* On the other hand, as against all the advantages enumerated 

 above, there are greater chances of changing foxes in the woods 

 than in the open — where a huntsman can often detect the mis- 

 take. Also falling leaves, or, on certain days the drip from trees, 

 are all against scent in woodlands. Hounds take longer to pick 

 out a cold line iu covert than in the open, and if a fox is once 

 well ahead, you have not the same chance of getting up to him 

 through the medium of a holloa. 



