THE BOOK OF THE OTTER 



with foxhounds, and the huntsman who takes his 

 own time whilst his whipper-in is bursting himself 

 across country is surely lacking in keenness. 



Although otter-hunting does not call for as much 

 quickness on the part of the huntsman as fox- 

 hunting, we still must confess we like to see a 

 huntsman of otterhounds show some agility when 

 his hounds run fast. This particularly applies to 

 hunting in the north, where otters so often cross 

 steep watersheds. A great deal of valuable time 

 is frequently lost, simply because the huntsman 

 prefers to take his own time, instead of attempting 

 to keep in close touch with hounds, and thus be 

 on the spot should they momentarily require his 

 assistance. As far as the field are concerned, it is 

 their own fault if they are left behind when hounds 

 run. When travelling with hounds on the highway, 

 however, the huntsman and whippers-in should go 

 at a reasonable pace, so as to give the field a chance 

 — particularly the ladies — to be there when hounds 

 are put to water. Racing ahead with hounds on 



the roads gets the pack into the habit of pushing 



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