Officers and Hunt Assistants 271 



hounds. The special duties of the first whipper-in are 

 hardly less important than those of the huntsman. Indeed, 

 some Masters declare that if they could have but one high- 

 class man with hounds they would prefer that man to be 

 the first whipper-in rather than the huntsman. 



The first whipper-in must needs be everywhere, nor 

 spare himself or his mount. He must keep to hounds, and 

 this necessity alone requires him to follow them over almost 

 impossible obstacles. He is obliged to ride many more 

 miles during a run than any other man in the hunt, and 

 altogether must be a most efficient rider and without 

 fear. His function at the covert-side is to go ahead and 

 station himself in such a position as will enable him to 

 view the fox away. The second whipper-in usually 

 accompanies the huntsman into covert to keep the hounds 

 together, prevent their running riot, and see when the fox 

 finally breaks that they are all brought on to the line. 

 The correcting of hounds falls principally to him, the 

 huntsman himself being a sort of shelter to which a hound 

 turns instantly he is chastised. The second whipper-in 

 must be not only a fearless rider, but a thorough horseman, 

 too, riding always to save his horse. 



Another important officer of a hunt is the kennel hunts- 

 man, usually the huntsman himself or some one grown old 

 in the service of the hunt. On the kennel huntsman rests 

 a responsibility scarcely less grave than that of the hunts- 

 man or the Master. We treat of him here as a distinct 

 and separate officer. 



The Master directs the selecting and breeding of hounds, 

 but kennel management depends upon the kennel hunts- 



