THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. ^11 



cind, should your hounds ever be in the sta.,te liere described, 

 you will keep theai fresh for the first fine (.b.y ; when, sup- 

 posing them to be all perfedly steady, I do not question 

 that they will kill their fox. 



When hounds are in want of blood, give them every 

 advantage; go out early, choose a good quiet morning, and 

 throw ofFyour hounds where they are likely to find, and are 

 least likely to change : — if it be a small cover, or furze- 

 brake, and you can keep the fox in, it is right to do it ; f jr 

 the sooner you kill him, when you are in want of blood, the 

 better for the hounds. 



When hounds are in want of blood, and you get a fox 

 into a small cover, it must be your own fault if you 

 do not kill him there: place your people properly, and 

 he cannot get off again. You will hear, perhaps, that it 

 is impossible to head back a fox. No animal is so shy ; 

 consequently, no animal is so easily headed back by 

 those who understand it. "When it is your intention to 

 check a fox, your people must keep at a little distance 

 from the cover-side ; nor should they be sparing of their 

 voices; for,, since you cannot keep him in (if he be de- 



