l84 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING 



dent In not hurrying them beyond It, when It 

 is bad. Your's, you fay, is a good horfeman ; 

 it is of the utmoft confequence to your fport; 

 nor is it poffible for a huntfman to be of much 

 ufe, who is not ; for the firft thing, and the very 

 fine qua nan of a fox-hunter is to ride up to his 

 headmoft hounds. It is his bufinefs to be ready, 

 at all times, to lend them that afliftance they fo 

 frequently need, and which, when they are firft 

 at a fault, is then moft critical. A fox-hound, 

 at that time, will exert himfelf moft; he after- 

 wards cools, and becomes more indifferent about 

 his game. Tliofc huntfmen who do not get for- 

 ward enough to take advantage of this eager- 

 nefs and impetuofity, and dire6l it properly, fel- 

 dom know enough of hunting to be of much ufe 

 to them afterwards. 



You will, perhaps, find It more difficult to 

 keep your whipper-in back, than to gd your 

 huntfman forward ; at Icaft, I always have found 

 it fo.* It is, however, ncceffary; nor will a 

 good whipper-in leave a cover whilft a tingle 

 hound remains in it : for tliis reafon, there ihould 



* Thoiigh a huntfman cannot be too fond of hunting, a 

 whipper-in eafily may. His bufinefs will feldom allow him to 

 be forward enough with the hounds to fee much of the fport s 

 his only thought, therefore, fliould be to keep the hounds to-' 

 gether, and to contribute, as much as he can, to the killing of 

 the fox, 



be 



