THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 249 



gnd that lliould have both meaning and expreflioa 

 in it. 



When your huntfman makes a caft, I hope he 

 makes it perfe6l one way before he tries another, 

 g,s mueh time is loft in going backwards and for- 

 wards. You will lee huntfrnen, when a forward 

 cail does not fuececd, come flowly back again — 

 they fhould return as fail as they can. 



When hounds are in fault, and it is probable 

 that the fox has headed back, your caft forward 

 fhould be fhort and quick, for the fcent is then 

 likely to be behind you; too obfiinate a perle- 

 verance forward has been the lofs of many foxes. 

 In heathy countries_, if there be many roads, foxes 

 will always run them in dry weather; when 

 hounds, therefore, over-run the fcent, if your 

 huntiman return to the firft crofs road, he, pro- 

 bably, will hit oiF the fcent again. 



In large covers where there are fcveral roads ; 

 in bad fcenting days when thefe roads are dry ; 

 or, after a thaw, when they carry ; it is neceiTary 

 that your huntfman fhould be near to his hounds, 

 to help them and hold them forward. Foxes will 

 run the roads at thefe times, and hounds cannot 

 always own the fcent. When they are at fault on 

 a dry road, let not your hmitfrnan turn back too 

 foon, let him not ftop till lie can be certain that 



the 



