HUNTING DIRECTORY. 293 



Training Hounds. 



as he perceives one, lie checks the clogs, crying, toute 

 hellement , fi-de-ca , derriere, ha hey. He removes from 

 before them, that they may have a view of the whole 

 plain ; and if any of them but raises an ear, he is not 

 spared. By this method the dogs are habituated, even 

 uncoupled, to pass through the plains in the midst of 

 hares, without taking any notice of them. 



These excursions having succeeded as well as could 

 be wished, they are repeated with men on horseback: 

 if the hounds should so far forget themselves as to run 

 away and return to the kennel, they are immediately led 

 back to the plain, and walked along coupled, by men on 

 foot, who correct them severely when they shew the 

 least signs of ardour ; and especially those which, by 

 their example, hurry along the others in their indocility. 



The young pack being sufficiently advanced, they are 

 taken out in troops to hunt, that they may become ac- 

 quainted with the country, and be habituated to re- 

 turn to their kennel. The valets who take them out 

 are particularly attentive to keep them behind them 

 during the whole chase, to silence them whenever they 

 begin to open, and to maintain the most rigid obedience ; 

 they can come up time enough to be in at the death — 

 this will make them acquainted with the animal which 

 they are destined to hunt. 



After two or three chases of this kind, the young- 

 hounds are divided into two equal companies, which are 

 subdivided into two and two among the lower troops, 

 (hardes basses) to be uncoupled with them. Each of 

 these companies is hunted only twice, to prevent their 

 getting so much exercise as to beat the old hounds. In 



