THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 257 



When hounds are making a regular caft, try- 

 ing for the fcent as they go, fufFer not your huntf- 

 man to fay a v/ord to them ; it cannot do any 

 good, and probably may make them go over 

 the fcent : nor fhould you faffer either ihe voice 

 or the whip of your whipper-in, to be now heard ; 

 his ufual roughnefs and feverity would ill fuit 

 the llillnefs and gentlenefs which are required at 

 a time like this. 



When hounds come to a check, a huntfraan 

 fhould obferve the tail bounds; they are leail 

 likely to over-run the fcent, and he may fee by 

 them how far they brought it : in moft packs 

 there are fome hounds that will fliew the point 

 of the fox, and if attended to, will direcSb his caft: 

 when fuch hounds follow flowly and unwillingly, 

 he may be certain the reft of the pack are run- 

 ning; without a fcent. 



When he cafts his hounds, let him not cafl 

 wide without reafon ; for of courfe it will take 

 more time. Huntfmen, in general, keep too for- 

 ward in their cafts ; or, as a failor would fay, 

 keep too long o?i one tack. They fhould en- 

 deavour to hit off the fcent by crofting the lihe 

 of it, — Tivo j^aralld lines, you hiozv, can never 

 meet.^ 



* By attending to this a huntfman cannot fail to make a good 

 caft, for if he obferve the peine of the fox, he may always crofs 

 upon the fcent of him. 



S When 



