HUNTING THE FOX 13 



the precious hours of daylight are short, he will be 

 wise to try to find another Fox, unless the dig is 

 certain to be only a matter of a few minutes. 

 Good scenting days are so rare that not a moment 

 must be wasted. If he decides not to dig, he should 

 have the Hounds called away immediately, and 

 leave the earth quietly and quickly. He will in 

 this manner cause the minimum of disappointment 

 to the Hounds, and disclose the refuge of the Fox 

 to as few people as possible. To potter about over 

 the earth, to collect a crowd of foot-people who 

 amuse themselves by an amateur dig after the 

 Hounds have gone, to keep the Field waiting, and 

 in the end to disappoint the Hounds, — all this is 

 bad policy from every point of view. If the scent 

 is so poor that the chance of a good run is remote, 

 the weather fine, and the daylight long, a dig may 

 be legitimate even during the regular hunting 

 season. 



Having digressed somewhat on the subject of 

 digging for the purpose of illustrating its influence 

 on the welfare of the Hunt, let us return to some 

 other aspects of Mastership. Of these the engage- 

 ment of the servants is one of the most difficult 

 and hazardous. It is easier to choose a wife than 

 to choose a Huntsman. The M.F.H. may know 

 all about some particular Huntsman and have the 

 fortune to find him free at the right moment, 

 otherwise he will have to rely upon hearsay ; but 



