THE WHIPPER-IN rtl 



upon one of these bullying gentry unawares one day — a flash 

 fool, who thought himself fit for anything, but of whose talent 

 the world formed so different an opinion, that he is now out of 

 place — and overheard a rating match that he thought was all 

 between themselves. " Come and ride behind ine, and don't 

 be showing off there," said he, with all the importance of a 

 lord-lieutenant, to a poor frightened lad he had stationed at a 

 gorse cover corner, with orders not to move till he told 

 him, an order that the lad had implicitly obeyed, but had 

 unfortunately attracted a group of children, who, we suppose, 

 the Huntsman thought would have been much better employed 

 in looking at him. " Like master like man," is a very true 

 saying, and in no instance more strongly exemplified than in 

 Huntsmen and field servants. If the Master is a coarse, 

 swearing, bullying fellow, the man will think it necessary to 

 imitate him. Huntsmen, of all people, take their " cue " from 

 the Master, and they have plenty of opportunity of observin 

 the terms on which each sportsman stands with him. Whip- 

 pers-in take their "cue" from the Huntsman, and much the 

 same manners will be found to reign throughout an establish- 

 ment. To their credit, however, be it spoken, we scarcely 

 ever met with anything like rudeness or incivility from a hound 

 servant. Some have more manners than others, but they all 

 " mean well." My lord's men are better drilled, have seen 

 how things are done in other establishments, but Mr. Rattle- 

 cover's, though they may not " sky scrape " quite so high, 

 would be quite as ready to catch a stray horse, or set a fallen 

 sportsman up on his hind legs. From catching loose horses 

 Huntsmen are always e.xempt, they must go with their hounds, 

 the office therefore devolves on the Whips, unless some 

 other good Samaritan anticipates them. Let the Whips be 

 remembered in the sportsman's "budget." They have no 

 perquisites beyond their pay, and as every little makes a 

 mickle, so a trifle from each sportsman will make a very 



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