194 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



of stopping the pack, which come out of cover, 

 and flash half, or probably all the way, across the 

 field, when, had he had a whip to smack, he could 

 have turned them back at once, and have prevented 

 the fox from gaining probably half an hour's ad- 

 vantage, by shpping away on the other side of the 

 cover. When men see that their own sport may 

 be injured by this fashion, it does appear most 

 strange that it should have been adopted, much 

 more continued, unless it really is to show their 

 indifference to the sport ; bringing with it, as it does, 

 the chance of running over many a hound which 

 may happen to be in the way of their horses ; and, 

 after having ridden over it, they will call out, " Ware 

 horse!" when, in fact, it ought to have been, "Ware 

 hound!" and the hound is ruined, because the gentle- 

 man did not choose to ride with a hunting-whip. 



It sometimes happens that a hound in the chase 

 crosses a horse in his gallop, or slips through a fence, 

 and under a horse when taking a jump, and the 

 hound is killed. This certainly may be called an 

 accident. The owner and huntsman, of course, are 

 much annoyed and irate at the moment ; but they 

 cannot blame a man for it as in the other case, when 

 a smack of a whip would have saved it, but well 

 knowing, as they must do, that it was done in the 



