248 



ON THE SILENCE 



I have been more particular than I otherwise 

 should have been, upon a supposition that your 

 hounds draw ill ; however, you need not ob- 

 serve all the cautions I have given, unless 

 your hounds require them. 



Some art may be necessary to make the most 

 of the country that you hunt. I would advise 

 you not to draw the covers near your house, 

 while you can find elsewhere : it will make 

 them certain places to find in, when you go out 

 late, or may otherwise be in want of them. 

 For the same reason, I would advise you not 

 to hunt those covers late in the season: they 

 should not be much disturbed after Christmas. 

 Foxes will then resort to them, will breed there, 

 and you can pi'eserve them with little trouble. 

 This relates to the good management of a pack 

 of hounds, which is a business distinct from 

 hunting them.* 



Though a huntsman ought to be as silent as 

 possible at going into a cover, he cannot be too 

 noisy at coming out of it again ; and if at any 

 time he should turn back suddenly, let him give 



* Breeding, feeding, steadying, drafting, and placing, 

 are the essential parts of fox-hunting. When these are 

 properly attended to, the hounds will require but little 

 assistance from the huntsman, whose chief business then 

 will be to keep with them, say little, and do nothing. 



