84 THE Hl^NTlXG FIELD 



be a very dull dog that doesn't understand when a person is 

 manoeuvring to lick him. The human voice divine is doubtless 

 a fine popular organ, and perhaps it is a pity that the free use of 

 it does not contribute to the success of the chase, for we never 

 saw a hunting field yet where there was the slightest prospect 

 of a deficiency of noise. We shall never have to import any 

 of that, however. Some few men, however, are so modest or 

 timid, that they are afraid of the sound of their own voices, 

 and if they see a fox break cover, they get into such a delightful 

 state of perturbation, that they don't know what the devil to 

 do, and it perhaps takes them ten minutes or a quarter of an 

 hour before they recover their facilities sufficiently to be able 

 to tell anybody, and even then, they are often in such a nervous 

 state of confusion, that very likely they have forgotten the place. 

 For these gentlemen the hat is the thing. Indeed, a hat high 

 in the air is worth a hundred halloos, especially if the hounds 

 are in cover and don't see it. The Huntsman can then get 

 them quietly out, lay them gently on, and in foxhunting, as in 

 most other things, a good beginning is half the battle. The 

 hounds settle well to the scent, reynard travelling quietly on, 

 perhaps, hears them well in his rear ; he then has time to 

 consider which way he will go, and, putting his head straight 

 for his point, gives them a splitter. 



Many a fox is lost in the first few minutes. But to the 

 Whip— 



Beckford tells an amusing story of an amateur Whip, who 

 was got rid of with the following politeness: — "A gentleman," 

 says he, " perceiving his hounds to be much confused by the 

 frequent halloos of a stranger, rode up to him, and thanked 

 him with great civility for the trouble he was taking ; but at 

 the same time acquainted him that the two men he saw in 

 green coats" {green, the deuce!) "were paid so much by the 

 year on purpose to halloo, it would be needless for him, therefore, 

 to give himself iiny further trouble." 



