1^6 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



with a knowing buntfrnanj would probably pro* 

 duce a perfect ha re -hunter. 



The whipper-in aifo has little to do with him, 

 whom I before defcribed : yet lie may be like the 

 fecond whipper-in to a pack oF Ibx-hounds ; the 

 ilableboy who is to follow the hunlfman : but I 

 •would have him flill more confined^ for lie Ihoald 

 not dare even to flop a hound, or fmack a whip, 

 without the hniitfman's order. Much noife and 

 rattle is direclly contrary to tiie firft principles of 

 hare -hunting, which is, to be perfeiily quiet, and 

 to let your hounds alone. I have feen few 

 hounds fo good as town packs, that have no pro- 

 felTed huntlrnan to follow them. If they have 

 BO one to affift them, they have at the fame time, 

 no one to interrupt them ; which, I believe, for 

 ibis kind of hunting, is ft ill more material. I 

 flionld, however, meniion a fault I have obfervcd, 

 and Vv'hich luch liounds muil of neceffity fome- 

 times be guilty of; that is, running hack, the heel, 

 'Hounds are naturally fond of fccnt ; if they can- 

 not carry it forward, they v/ill turn, and hunt it 

 back again : hounds, that are left to themfelves, 

 make a fault of this ; and it is, I think, the only 

 cne they commonly have. — Though it be cer- 

 tainly befl to \c\. your hounds alone, and thereby 

 to give as much fcopc to their natural inftind, as 

 you cap ; yet, in this particular inftance, you 

 ihculd check it mildly ; for, as it is almofl an 



invariable 



