THE HOUND 57 



to him, he was deaf to your appeal and con- 

 tinued in his misconduct. Now you mean to give 

 him the opportunity of committing the offence 

 again, and to catch him red-handed. On your 

 way back to kennels you go through a field 

 where you know a hare to be lying, and there, 

 sure enough, she is, getting up from her form 

 right under the noses of the pack. None, how- 

 ever, take any notice except Rusticus, and he 

 dashes off in pursuit, but your whips are ready 

 in attendance on either hand and speedily cut 

 off the culprit. The next thing is to couple 

 him up to a rail and give him a sound flogging 

 to the tune of ' ware-hare.* It is advisable to 

 first blood a young hound with fox two or 

 three times before you administer punishment 

 for running riot. You want to enforce obedi- 

 ence, but you must be careful not to kill the 

 dash and spirit, without which the fox-hound is 

 worthless. One hound will take a flogging as 

 if he liked it, whilst a single stroke of the whip 

 will cow another so that he may not get over 

 it for several days. Of course, punishment of 

 a hound should be for the purpose of curing a 

 fault, and not a vent for the ill-temper of the 



