ii2 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



have convinced the critic that hounds had a line, 

 and that the huntsman was simply encouraging 

 them in well-doing. 



" Why doesn't he ? " is a question which is asked 

 in the hunting field with a frequency which becomes 

 monotonous. " Why doesn't he get on ? " asked 

 an impatient man, who had gone well in a sharp 

 burst, and who had not got quite to the end of his 

 horse. Hounds had run hard for some fifteen 

 minutes ; an over-eager field had pressed them a 

 field over the line, and the huntsman, having made 

 a short cast down wind, was going back to where 

 hounds had last had a line. Of course, the hunts- 

 man was right, hounds had overshot the fox, and 

 the latter had taken advantage of the fact to slip 

 down a hedge-back. A curious instance of this 

 took place when Mr. Vyner was hunting the North 

 Warwickshire country. They had run the fox to 

 ground and bolted him, and away hounds went at 

 top pace with the field on the top of their backs. 

 Mr. Vyner followed on quietly, keeping his eyes 

 open, and when hounds checked, as they were sure 

 to do under such circumstances, on a catchy scent- 

 ing day, he saw the fox had clapped in a fallow, 

 and when hounds were carried on by the impetu- 

 osity of the field, he saw him turn and make his 

 way down a hedgerow. He blew his horn, and 

 no doubt the question was asked a score of times, 

 " Why is he blowing hounds back ? The fox 

 must be forward." Whoo-whoop, at the end of 

 five minutes, answered the query. 



It is by no means an uncommon occurrence in 

 some countries for the " young bloods " to vote 

 a huntsman who hunts his foxes perseveringly on 

 a bad scenting day, slow, and many a veteran who 



