FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. 561 



recross you. If one of your dogs is a slow potterer, and ' 

 you prefer this method to the one named in 162, give 

 him the middle beat, and let his faster companions take 

 the flanks. In our small English fields you have not 

 space enough, but on our moors, and in many parts of 

 the Continent, it cannot be want of room that will pre- 

 vent your accomplishing it. To do this well, however, 

 and not interfere with each other's ground, how mag- 

 nificently must your dogs be broken ! In directing their 

 movements, the assistance that would be given you by 

 each dog's acknowledging his own particular whistle, 

 and no other 275 is very apparent. 



164. It is difficult enough to make three dogs traverse 

 across you on tolerably distinct parallels ; and at a judi- 

 cious distance between the parallels you will find it 

 hopeless to attempt it with more than three ; and one 

 can hardly imagine a case in which it would be advan- 

 tageous to uncouple a greater number of good rangers. 

 If, however, the scarcity of game, and the extensiveness 

 of your beat, or any peculiar fancy, induce you 

 habitually to use four dogs, hunt one brace to the right, 

 the other to the left ; and, so far as you can, let those 

 which form a brace be of equal speed* Your task will 

 be facilitated by your always keeping the same brace to 

 one flank I mean, by making one brace constantly hunt 

 to your right hand ; the other brace to your left. The 

 same reasoning holds with regard to assigning to each 



* A rule to be followed whenever you employ relays of braces. 

 24* 



