BLOOD. 345 



out of reach of this bone-breaker's heels, during the 

 frequent stoppages which occur out hunting. Some 

 persons have a red bow put on their animal's tail, or 

 they place a hand at the small of their back, with the 

 palm turned to the rear, as a sly device to get more 

 elbow-room in crowds. It is evident that such artful 

 tricks are unworthy of imitation. 



BLOOD. 



With full consideration of the importance of blood 

 for making hounds keen, I must say that the digging 

 out of foxes is a phase of hunting that I greatly dislike 

 to witness. I do not think that any writer has put 

 this question more fairly than Captain Elmhirst, who 

 says: — "We must grant that hounds are glad to get 

 hold of their fox ; but we cannot grant that it is at all 

 necessary that they should do so. In a well-stocked 

 country he must be a very bad huntsman who cannot 

 find them blood enough by fair killing ; while in a 

 badly stocked one it is very certain you cannot afford 

 wanton bloodshed. Moreover, it is almost an allowed 

 fact that hounds w^ell blooded in the cub-hunting season 

 do not require it to any extent afterwards ; and many 

 authorities maintain that a good ' flare up ' of triumph 

 and excitement over the mouth of an earth is just as 

 effectual and satisfactory to hounds as an actual worry. 



'* And what do the field think of it ? They hate and 

 abominate it, each and every one of them. They 

 neither sympathise with the feeling that prompts the 

 act, nor hold with the expediency of its commission. 



