CEITICAL MOMENTS. 195 



LETTER XVI. 



I ENDED my last letter, I believe, in a violent 

 passion. The hounds, I think, were at fault 

 also. I shall now continue the further explana- 

 tion of my thirteenth letter from that time. 



The first moment that hounds are at a fault is 



a critical one for the sport : people then should 



be very attentive. Those who look forwards, 



perhaps, may see the fox ; or the running of 



sheep, or the pursuit of crows, may give them 



some tidings of him. Those who listen, may 



sometimes take a hint which way he is gone 



from%the chattering of a magpie, or perhaps be 



at a certainty from a distant halloo : nothing 



that can give any intelligence, at such a time as 



this, is to be neglected. Gentlemen are too apt 



to ride all together : were they to spread more, 



they might sometimes be of service ; particularly 



such as, from a knowledge of the sport, keep 



down the wind : it would then be difficult for 



either hounds or fox to escape their observation.* 



* Those sportsmen only who wish to be of service to the 

 hounds, and know how, should ride wide of them. 



k2 



