CHAPTER XVI 



SYSTEMS OF HUNTING 



I wish 

 You had only in your silent judgment tried it. 



The Winter's Tale. 



More or less of a controversy exists amongst 

 hunting men as to the best method of hunting 

 hounds, and even those who care little for hounds 

 and hound work will be found giving their opinion 

 in no measured terms on the subject. It is some- 

 thing like the controversy between Finger and 

 Fist in Whyte-Melville's charming book, Riding 

 Recollections, for there are hard-and-fast adherents 

 to each system, and I suppose there will be so long 

 as fox-hunting exists. The two systems may, for 

 the present purposes at any rate, be termed the 

 noisy system and the silent system. Men who like 

 the latter are much put out at the constant holloa- 

 ing and horn-blowing which form features of the 

 former school ; their opponents say that hunting 

 with them is like going to a funeral. 



Now in order to come to right understanding 

 on this subject, it is necessary to begin at the 

 beginning and see what are the objects which every 

 huntsman should have in view when he goes out 

 with his pack. First of all, of course, he wishes to 

 show his field sport, to which end it is necessary 



