HUNTSMAN 155 



owing to the gi-ound being stained, gets bad, and he 

 has probably time to get fresher, and often steals 

 away mthout behig seen, as all the men are close to 

 the hounds, with the belief that they will kill the 

 next minute. But on these occasions, if the hunts- 

 man is awake, he will always order one of the 

 whippers-in to remain at the opposite side of the 

 coyer. Independent of its being the best plan to 

 kill a hunted fox, by sticking to the pack and cheer- 

 ing them in coyer, it is the most Ukely means of 

 making a fresh fox break coyer, without any wide 

 hounds getting on him, for it keeps the pack 

 together, and makes any other foxes fly. Indeed 

 it sometimes happens that the leading hounds kill 

 their fox in coyer, though not often, and then join 

 the body of the pack, which are on a fresh one ; 

 which, unless a huntsman has kept his ear to, he 

 is not aware of. 



There is a wide difference of opinion, as to 

 whether a large pack or a small one is best in large 

 covers, where the object is to get away Avith one, 

 or to make him fly or die. Although foxes are apt 

 to hang in these covers it appears easy to prove 

 that the smallest pack — say seventeen couple — has 

 the advantage in many ways ; and is more likely to 

 make a fox fly, or kill him, than a pack of twenty- 



