256 A HUNTSMAN SHOULD NOT 



before, without ever having been pressed, if 



his point should be for strong earths that are 



open, or for large covers, where game is in 



plelity, it may be acting wisely to take oft' 



the hounds at the first fault they come to; 



for the fox will go many miles to your one, 



and probably will run you out of all scent ; 



but if he should not, you will be likely to 



change at the first cover you come into : when 



a fox has been hard pressed, I have already 



given it as my opinion, that he never should be 



given up. 



When you would recover a hunted fox, and 



have no longer a scent to hunt him by, a long 



cast to the first cover which he seems to point 



to is the only resource you have left : get there 



as fast as you can ; and then let your hounds 



try as slowly and as quietly as possible : if 



hunting after him is hopeless, and a long cast 



does not succeed, you had better give him up. 



Need I remind you that when the scent lies 



badly, and you find it impossible for hounds 



to run, you had better return home, since the 



next day may be more favourable.* It surely 



• Though I would not go out on a very windy day, yet 

 a bad scenting day is sometimes of service to a pack of 

 fox-hounds : they acquire patience from it, and method of 

 hunting. 



