THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, ^6^ 



into covers where deer are. By drawing amongst theni;, 

 jthey wiU, in some degree, be awed from the scent, and 

 possibly may stick to the fox when he is found ; but should 

 unsteady hounds, when high on their mettle, run into a co- 

 ver where deer are in plenty, there is no doubt that, the 

 first check they come to, they will all fall off. I always 

 have found hounds most inclined to riot when most upon 

 their mettle : such as are given to sheep will then kill sheep, 

 and such as are not quite steady from deer, will then be most 

 likely to break off after them. When hounds are encou- 

 raged on a scent, if they lose that scent, it is then that an 

 unsteady hound is ready for any kind of mischief, 



I HAVE already said, that a huntsman ought never ;to 

 flog a hound. When a riotous hound, conscious of his 

 offence, may escape from the whipper-in, and fly to the 

 huntsman, you will see him put his whole pack into conr 

 fusion, by endeavouring to chastise him himself. This is 

 the height of absurdity. Instead of flogging the hound, 

 he ought to encourage him, who should always have some 

 place to fly to for protedion. If the offence be a bad 

 one, let him get off his horse, and couple up the dog^ 

 leaving him to be chastised by the whipper-in, after he 



