156 HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



a knowing cast not succeed, your huntsman is in no wise 

 blameable : mine, I remember, lost me a good chace, by 

 persevering too long in a favourite cast : but he gave me 

 so many good reasons why the fox ought to have gone 

 that way, that I returned perfectly well satisfied, telling 

 him at the same time, that, if the fox was a fool, he 



could not help it. 



"A huntsman will complain of hounds for staying 

 behind in cover : it is a great fault, and makes the hound 

 that has it of little value ; a fault frequently occasioned 

 by his own mismanagement. Having drawn one cover, 

 he hurries away to another, and leaves the whipper-in 

 to bring on the hounds after him ; but the whipper-in is 

 seldom less desirous of getting forward than the hunts- 

 man; and, unless they come off easily, it is not often that 

 he gives himself much concern about them. Also, hounds 

 that are left too long at their walks, will acquire this trick 

 from hunting'by themselves, and are not easily broken 



off it. 



'« Before a huntsman goes into the kennel to draft his 

 hounds, let him determine within himself the number of 

 hounds'he intends to take out ; as likewise the number 

 of young hounds that he can venture in the country 

 where he is going to hunt. Different countries may 

 require different hounds ; some may require more hoimds 

 than others : it is not an easy matter to draft hounds 

 properly ; nor can any expedition be made in it, without 



some method. 



'' If the huntsman, without inconvenience, can begm 

 drawing at the farthest cover down the wind, and so 

 draw from cover to cover up the wind till you find, let 



