POX-HUNTING. 7 



note of a hound that has thrown tongue; trot quietly up 

 to a cold scent, bringing hounds up on their mettle most 

 likely will cause them to run on the expectation of it. 

 If you have viewed your fox to ground, and it he such 

 an earth as you can bolt him from while the pack is on 

 fire, let them have him, unless some strong reasons in- 

 duce you to spare his life. Hounds are little served by 

 blood when they are cooled, and their courage is down ; 

 a fox thrown among them after an hour or two spent in 

 digging is only a fox sacrificed, and one more chance of 

 a blank day. The change of the hunt is an accident 

 impossible to guard against, and very difficult of detec- 

 tion. Your staunchest houmis will generally keep to 

 the first scent, and you must use your knowledge of 

 your pack in such cases as your safest resource. It will 

 serve you to bear in mind that the scent of a dog-fox is 

 much stronger than that of a vixen. 



The head whipper-in must be completely under the 

 command of the huntsman, always maintaining his 

 halloo, stopping the hounds that divide or run from it, 

 and getting immediately forward with them to the 

 huntsman. His station, whilst drawing the c x overs, 

 is always on the side opposite to the huntsman, keeping 

 near enough to him however to hear arid obey his 

 halloo. While the huntsman is riding to his head 

 hounds, the whipper-in may be useful in various ways ; 

 he may clap forward to any great earth that may by 

 chance be open; he may sink the wind to halloo, or 

 mob a fox when the scent fails ; he may keep him off 



