HUNTING THE FOX 45 



practice of catching their Foxes at the end of the 

 run and not at the beginning. 



As soon as the first Cub is afoot the rest of the 

 litter will also be roused, and the Hounds may 

 soon be divided into two or more lots. If there is 

 anything like a scent the whippers-in should not 

 try to stop the Hounds to one lot, but should rather 

 try to take positions where they may prevent any 

 one lot breaking covert after the old Fox. The 

 entire staff should now keep quiet and save their 

 horses. The Huntsman should trot about the 

 rides, awaiting the next phase of the operation. 

 The old dog Fox will almost certainly leave the 

 covert as soon as he hears the cry. But it should 

 not be forgotten that the old vixen will very likely 

 dodge about the covert to the very last minute in 

 the hope of saving her Cubs by diverting attention 

 to herself. And at this time of year some vixens 

 when viewed at a certain distance, are apt to be 

 mistaken for Cubs. On a certain memorable 

 morning in the Midlands, every Fox except one 

 had apparently left the covert and the pack all 

 got together on one line. The first whipper-in, 

 who was no novice, viewed the hunted one away 

 and assured the Huntsman that he was after a 

 Cub. The deluded man blew his Hounds away, 

 expecting to handle a beaten Cub every minute. 

 Imagine his surprise at being treated to a nine- 

 mile point, at the end of which the Hounds ran 



