166 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



first season. Grey will make a capital cover hack, 

 carry you tlie first burst when you wish it, and 

 you can take your opportunity to sell him." 



'^ Well," said my friend, " now leaving horses, 

 let me ask you a question or two about hounds. 

 AYhen we viewed the fox away, and he was quite 

 gone, why did you, after giving one halloo, desire 

 me to be silent?" 



" Because," said I, " the huntsman being with 

 his liounds, one halloo was sufficient to tell him 

 the fox was gone away : it was his business to lay 

 his hounds on to the scent, not ours to call them 

 to it. It very rarely happens that a case occurs 

 where one of the field should take upon himself to 

 halloo to hounds : it is a liberty, and a great one. 

 Any lialloo should be for the information of the 

 men, not as a call to the hounds. Supposing such 

 a case as hounds having come to a check, neither 

 master, huntsman, or either whip in sight, and par- 

 ticularly if the pack are on bad terms with their 

 fox, if a man has viewed him, it would be quite fair 

 in him to lay them on to the line of the game ; 

 having done so, and they having owned the scent, 

 let him hold his tongue, his temporary business as 

 huntsman is done; he is not to cap and cheer 

 them on, galloping by their side at the risk of 

 causing them to merely race on, instead of hunt- 

 ing their game ; for if he did, he would probably 

 take them on at a pace that, unless scent lay very 



