HUNTING THE FOX 55 



well settled to the line. If he jumps the fence out 

 of the road with the Hounds behind him, every one 

 else will jump out of the road, and very likely drive 

 him and the Hounds for two or three fields before 

 he hits the line, if, indeed, under these circumstances 

 he is lucky enough to hit it at all. He, moreover, 

 stands a good chance of being forced into taking 

 a parallel line to that of the Fox, and he will learn, 

 without studying Euclid, that two parallel lines 

 will never meet. 



So much for the art of laying Hounds on to a 

 scent. Let us now find our Fox, and offer some 

 suggestions for the conduct of the Huntsman in 

 the field after November 1. On and after this 

 magic date it will be his first duty to aim at getting 

 all his Hounds away together as closely as possible 

 behind the first Fox that leaves the covert. If the 

 Hounds have found their own Fox and are tied 

 to him with a good cry, he will be wise to await 

 events, bearing in mind the golden rule that Hounds 

 should never be stopped off one Fox and put on 

 to another, however tempting this proceeding may 

 appear to be at the moment. Should they throw 

 up suddenly, and another Fox is holloaed away 

 when all is silent, it is of course just possible for 

 a clever Huntsman, if he is up wind of the pack, 

 to pounce upon the chance like lightning and to 

 carry them away to the holloa. But do not forget 

 that to do this is to take a liberty which can only 



