HUNTSMAN 143 



from an old hound, sagacity. In short, he will do 

 well when in chase to consider what he would do 

 was he himself the fox he is hunting ; thereby he 

 will always anticipate a check, and cast his hounds 

 the way he should have gone had he been the fox, — 

 which, it may generally be observed, will be a hne of 

 country where he would avoid being seen, unless 

 there is some local cause for it. By attending to 

 this, he will be prepared for a check in many 

 instances a mile before he gets to it, if he knows 

 the country, and keeps his eyes open ; he must, to 

 do this, have only half an eye for the pack, and the 

 other eye and half beyond it ; and he will also soon 

 discover whether the fox is one he has hunted 

 before by the Hne he takes, and other pecuharities, 

 — even the ring he takes in cover, the rack he uses 

 in fences, — which observations are of great assist- 

 ance a second time, but more particularly so later 

 in the season, for a whole litter of young foxes 

 have been known to run the same line of country. 



Other observations in chase are worthy of 

 notice. He will find it no uncommon thing for a 

 fox in chase to pass over several earths which are 

 not stopped, and go on straight for several miles 

 beyond them ; but when he finds that he cannot 

 shake off" the pack, and is a little distressed, he will 



