44 HUNTING THE FOX 



in the required direction, go on drawing, and give 

 his Hounds the chance of crossing the Hne of their 

 game. At all costs during Cub-hunting they must 

 either find, or think they have found, their Fox 

 for themselves. This is the way to teach them 

 to hunt. If the Cub is unkennelled where the 

 underwood is short and he can be easily viewed, 

 some Huntsmen "see red" and cannot resist the 

 temptation of galloping and holloaing at him to 

 try to turn him into their mouths. This gipsy- 

 like practice cannot be too strongly condemned. 

 It usually results in a noisy and undignified exhibi- 

 tion of failure, with possibly a stubbed horse or a 

 catastrophic encounter with a blind ditch. In the 

 meantime he will have got the Hounds' heads up, 

 and probably have caused the Cub to make a sharp 

 turn, with the result that the Hounds overrun the 

 line and can only be induced to hunt again after 

 the loss of much time and tissue. Even if, for 

 once, he baffles the Cub so that he is caught before 

 he is well on his legs, little or no good is done. 

 The young Hounds will not know what they are 

 after, and the breaking up of the Cub will be a 

 half-hearted affair, if indeed they will eat him at 

 all. No. When the Cub is unkennelled, particu- 

 larly in view, all hands should be silent and still, 

 and the Hounds should be allowed to do the rest. 

 The object of Cub-hunting is to teach the puppies 

 to hunt, and to confirm the entered Hounds in the 



