196 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



to follow him over a gate merely for amusement, 

 whilst the homids were drawing in a contrary 

 direction ; but he had that pleasure to himself. 

 The hounds shortly afterwards found and had a 

 good run. This gentleman went well for five or ten 

 minutes, but was not seen or heard of afterwards 

 that day ; his horse was beaten before the fox was 

 found. 



There is an old sapng, that " It is a bad wind 

 that blows no good " ; and, however much it is to be 

 regretted that men do not enter into the real sport 

 of fox-hunting as formerly, there is this advantage, 

 that men are not constantly speaking to hounds, or 

 cheering them by name, — a thing scarcely ever done 

 in the present day, though it is reported to have 

 been a common occurrence in the last century, — 

 and the extraordinary quickness with wliich hounds 

 get together may be attributed to this cause. It 

 is not meant here that huntsmen never ^\dsh to see 

 gentlemen lend assistance, for the huntsman to 

 even the best appointed packs are at times glad 

 of any one who ^WU turn a hound, and by so 

 doing get his warmest thanks ; for it has probably 

 been the means of finishing a good run well, when 

 even one minute lost would have made aU the 

 difference in the scent. But that assistance is out 



