164 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



quick or slow, as he perceives his hounds try, and as the 

 scent is either good or bad. 



Give particular llireiflions to your huntsman to prevent 

 his hounds, as much as he can, frgm chopping hares. Hunts- 

 Fiien like to get blood at any rate; and, when hounds are 

 used to it, it would surprize you to see how attentive they 

 are to find opportunities. A hare must be very wild, or 

 very nimble, to escape them. — I remember, in a furzy coun- 

 try, that my hounds chopped three hares in one morning ; 

 for it is the nature of those animals, either to leap up before 

 the hcunds come near them, and steal away, as it is called j 

 or else to lie close till they put their very noses upon them. -^ 

 Hedges also are very dangerous : if the huntsman beat the 

 hedge himself, which is the usual pradice, the hounds are 

 always upon the watch ; and a hare must have good luck to 

 escape them all. Tlie best way to prevent it, is to have the 

 hedge well beaten at some distance before the hounds. 



I Hares seldom run so well as when they do not know 



where they are, They run well in a fog, and generally 



, take a good country. \i they set off down the wind, they 



