204 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



not expect him to be always in an angelic humour. 

 Besides, there is another point to consider. Hounds 

 are both nervous and inquisitive creatures, and should 

 not be alarmed or rendered unduly curious at the 

 start of their day's work. Presumably it is the duty 

 of the professional huntsman to bring his hounds to 

 the meet in fit hunting condition ; but it is more than 

 sufficient to make him lose all heart in his work when 

 he sees his pack frightened and scattered by an ignorant 

 set of cyclists and motorists. 



Fancy the effect of a runaway motor-car dashing into 

 a pack of hounds ! Qui s'cxcitse, s\iccuse. I rarely read 

 a paper dealing with field sports but I come across 

 some letter from a motorist, defending the existence of 

 motor-cars, and I am constantly told that the motor-car 

 has come to stop, which is exactly what I wish that it 

 would do when hounds are in the vicinity. 



However, it is time that we left the meet and pro- 

 ceeded to the management of hounds in the field. 

 Now, no man, be he a professional or an amateur 

 huntsman, can manage a pack unless he is on speak- 

 ing terms with each hound. Most of my readers will 

 recognise the following quotation from the journal of 

 John Jorrocks, written immediately after he had 

 accepted the Mastership of the Handley Cross Hounds, 

 when he had paid his second visit to the kennels. 

 "'Ounds all delighted to see me: stood up in my 

 stirrups lookin' over the rails, 'olloain', cheerin', and 

 talkin' to them. Yoicks Dexterous ! Yoicks Lucky- 

 lass 1 Yoicks Rallywood ! Good dog ! Threw bits 

 of biscuit, as near each of them as I could pitch them, 



