A SCENT IN PRACTICE AND IN THEORY 395 



During the temporary lull in sport there has been revolv- 

 ing in what I call my mind — much as a melody revolves in 

 one's head while dressing, and one finds oneself whistling 

 it all day — the little point of getting hounds out of covert. 

 No. It is not a little point, however attenuated it may 

 seem in my hands, for upon it depends often the making 

 or marring of a run. When is it permissible, on the part 

 of a huntsman, to start away from covert with a few 

 couple of hounds only ? (You will give me the axiom 

 that it is worth aiiy/hing to get away close on a fox's 

 brush ; and you will grant that one of the greatest and 

 most essential, and most marvellous, attributes of a high- 

 class foxhound is his ability, at a pinch, to thread his way 

 quickly to the front, through a crowd of galloping horse- 

 men.) I make bold, subject to all correction, to submit 

 it as follows. With only one fox in covert, or at all events 

 with no other fox taking up the attention of hounds, it is 

 often excusable for a huntsman to lay on a few couple 

 (Charles Payne's practice, I believe, was five couple) and, 

 with the others coming to horn and the Master as much 

 as possible keeping their way clear, thus to set the cry 

 going as soon as he can. Ninety-nine times out of a 

 hundred he will have every hound worth having with the 

 body before two fields are crossed. 



On the other hand, with the body of the pack run- 

 ning another fox in covert, it is, with the rarest exception, 

 absolutely inadmissible to attempt following one that has 

 gone away either as first fox or as most eligible fox. You 

 can't get your hounds, save a few slack stragglers, and if 

 you went on with these, you would have neither pack nor 

 run. Or, if your whipper-in can reach and stop them 

 forcibly, the chances are that they come out disappointed, 

 crestfallen, and out of humour. A master of the art may 

 sometimes be seen to " gammon " them, taking advantage 

 of a momentary check in covert to pounce upon them, 

 pick them up, and carry them to the new line with their 

 bristles still up. Mortifying it often is, to mark a good 

 fox striking out the choicest line, while a " bad beast " is 

 taking up the attention of hounds within covert. He 

 need not necessarily be a bad beast, either. Example the 



