46 HUNTING THE FOX 



into the old vixen. But we will bar accidents for 

 the moment and picture to ourselves one of those 

 propitious mornings when the different lots have 

 worked the Cubs with a fair cry for, say, two 

 hours. The advantages of letting each lot hunt 

 its own Cub are now apparent. Much tissue has 

 been saved to both man and horse which would 

 have been expended in rating and abusing the 

 Hounds for doing the very thing they were brought 

 out to do. Not only that, all the Cubs have been 

 kept on their legs and are beginning to get tired 

 at the same moment, so that as soon as one is 

 caught and eaten it may not be very difficult to 

 clap the Hounds on to another leg -weary Cub 

 and crown the morning's training with yet another 

 taste of blood. With a view to doing this, it is a 

 good thing to leave the second whipper-in and 

 second horseman to watch the rides while the first 

 Cub is being eaten, so that, if they see another, 

 the Huntsman knows whereabouts to draw up to 

 him later on. But we have not yet killed our Fox. 

 The Huntsman must judge the moment when the 

 opportunity arises to get all parties together on 

 to one Cub. Sooner or later one party will usually 

 become stronger than the others and gradually 

 absorb the smaller ones. The Huntsman can help 

 the concentration by riding to the head of the now 

 official party, cheering them, and sounding his 

 horn when they cross a ride. The whole pack is 



