THEIR RELATIVE DUTIES. 125 



at the question. " ^Vhy, dori't you know,'''' said 

 he, " and he d — d to you, that the great earth 

 at Daventry is open ?" The man got forward, 

 and reached the earth just time enough to see 

 the fox go in. If, therefore, whippers-in are at 

 liberty to act as they shall think right, they are 

 much less confined than the huntsman himself, 

 who must follow his hounds ; and consequently 

 they have greater scope to exert their genius, if 

 they have any. 



I had a dispute with an old sportsman of my 

 acquaintance, who contended that the whipper- 

 in should always attend the huntsman to obey 

 his orders, (a stable-boy, in that case, would 

 make as good a whipper-in as the best) : but 

 this is so far from being the case, that he should 

 be always on the opposite side of the cover from 

 him, or I am much mistaken in my opinion : if 

 within hearing of his halloo, he is near enough ; 

 for that is the hunting signal he is to obey. 

 The station of the second whipper-in may be 

 near the huntsman, for which reason any boy 

 that can halloo, and make a whip smack, may 

 answer the purpose. 



Your first whipper-in being able to hunt the 

 hounds occasionally, will answer another good 

 purpose; it will keep your huntsman in order. 



