THE MASTER 29 



however, that, after all this, you will never have your hand out 

 of your pocket, and must always have a guinea in it." 



Decision is an indispensable requisite both for "Master" 

 and huntsman. It should be quick as thought ; and when 

 once taken, adhered to, unless very cogent reasons appear to 

 the contrary. On this point, perhaps, we cannot do better 

 than quote Colonel Cook. " To hunt a countrj', and to make 

 the most of it, so as to give general satisfaction, requires some 

 consideration. Supposing you have a thorough knowledge of 

 it, use your own judgment, and never be led by others, for you 

 will find they have most commonly some selfish motives, and 

 will often mislead you. It is a common case," says he, " for a 

 Master of hounds to be requested to draw such and such a 

 covert,* mereh' because it may happen to accommodate some 

 of the gentlemen out, by lying 07i their way liomc ; now if an 

 acquiescence in this should cause no inconvenience or material 

 alteration in the arrangements made for the day, it may be all 

 very well to do what you can to oblige any particular person or 

 set of men out ; but it should nevertheless be remembered by 

 all the field, that as people are in the habit of coming great 

 distances in every direction, to the point where the hounds meet 

 in the morning, by thus acceding to the wishes of a yi'zc you 

 are likely to inconvenience many ; besides the probability of 

 occasioning yourself, servants, hounds, and horses (should the 

 draw he from home instead oi tozvards it) to remain out late in 

 a wet December night, without even the moon or stars to guide 

 you. Some men will mislead you to avoid having their 

 coverts disturbed, fearing a tame pheasant may fly away to his 

 neighbours' preserves. After all, it is best to be firm, and never 

 change the plan of drawing which you have fixed upon and 

 considered to be the most probable one for sport. 



" A country ought to be regularly hunted, the good and the 



* This chap puts in a " t." — Printer's Devil. 



