OF SKIETERS. 209 



scent to get to him, and he should no longer 

 have any scent when they find him, the fox 

 would be lost by it. This is a reason why, in 

 large covers, and particularly such as have many 

 roads in them, skirting hounds should be left at 

 home on windy days. 



Skirters, I think, you may find hurtful, both 

 in men and dogs. Such as skirt to save their 

 horses often head the fox. Good sportsmen 

 never quit hounds but to be of service to them. 

 With men of this description, skirting becomes 

 a necessary part of fox-hunting, and is of the 

 greatest use. Skirters ! beware of a furze-brake. 

 If you head back the fox, the hounds, most 

 probably, will kill him in the brake. Such as 

 ride after the hounds, at the same time that they 

 do no good, are least likely to do harm : let such 

 only as understand the business, and mean to be 

 of service to the hounds, ride wide of them. I 

 cannot however allow, that the riding close up 

 to hounds is always a sign of a good sportsman ; 

 if it were, a monkey, on a good horse, would be 

 the best sportsman in the field. Here must I 

 censure (but with respect) that eager spirit 

 which frequently interrupts, and sometimes is 

 fatal to sport in fox-hunting; for, though I 

 cannot subscribe to the doctrine of my friend 



