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when they started the hounds were going in that 

 direction, thev Avould often save their horses much 

 work ; for, on hstening, they would find that the 

 hounds had turned in another direction. One fool, 

 it is said, makes many ; and it is no uncommon 

 thing to see one man start off, and a whole string 

 of horses follow without knowing why, and have to 

 return after going all through the wood. A very 

 httle trouble and patience will teach any man which 

 way hounds are turning in cover ; and he wdll find 

 it a great sa^-ing and advantage to his horse and 

 himself too. It is true, that old sportsmen beat 

 men of the present day ; they were properly entered 

 to fox-hunting, and were taught to depend on their 

 own eyes and ears. For instance, a fox after a run 

 gets to a large cover, where there is an earth stopped 

 at the farther end, or the country is too open to 

 make it probable that the fox vnW. face it, he (the 

 old sportsman), when he reaches the cover, quietly 

 pulls up, and keeps his ear to the hounds, going on 

 steadily ; by which his horse gets his wind, the fox 

 does head, finding the earth stopped, etc., and the 

 hounds bring him round back to the old sportsman. 

 But during this whole time the hard riders have 

 been going best pace much farther than the hounds, 

 which by this time have left the cover, and return- 



