SINGULAR CHARACTER. 181 



intended, as he said, to hunt with both. He 

 offered me the use of his kennel, which, for some 

 reasons, I chose to decline : it was afterwards 

 also offered to the other gentleman, who accept- 

 ed of it. The first day the hounds hunted his 

 country, he did not appear. The second day, 

 the hounds were no sooner at the cover side than 

 my friend saw an odd figure, strangely accou- 

 tred, riding up, with a spaniel following him. 

 *' Sir," said he, " it gave me great concern not 

 to be able to attend you, when you was here 

 before : I hope you was not offended at it ; for, 

 to show you how well I am inclined to assist 

 your hunt, you see, / have brought my little 



dogr 



There are two things which I particularly 

 recommend to you : the one is to make your 

 hounds steady ; the other, to make them all 

 draw. Many huntsmen are fond of having them 

 at their horses' heels; but, believe me, they 

 never can get so well, or so soon together, as 

 when they spread the cover : besides, I have 

 often known when there have been only a few 

 finders, that they have found their fox, gone 

 down the wind, and been heard of no more 

 that day. 



Never take out an old unsteady hound : young 



