16 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



and blood ; when, if I mistake not, you will 

 soon find they will " down with their noses " 

 without being unnaturally stooped to Hare. If you 

 are strong in litters of Foxes in your Cub-hunting 

 country, you cannot give your young pack too 

 much work ; do not regard their being scratched 

 and disfigured ; it is a good sign if they scratch 

 their faces in covert Cub-hunting, and it is the 

 most rational way of entering them. 



I remember once coming out of Tattersall's in 

 company with a Nobleman, a good Sportsman, 

 and a good man ; we were all at once joined by 

 another master of Fox-hounds, Avho introduced 

 himself by telling us he had found out the only 

 method of entering Hounds, and that was to a 

 drag-scent. This is certainly one way with a venge- 

 ance, but / am quite sure you will never try it. 



Punishing your hounds before they know what 

 a Fox-scent is, and flogging them in kennel, is 

 an unnecessary severity, but it is almost impossible 

 to break them without punishment. To some 

 people it may appear cruel to have a young hound 

 severely punished, but it stands to reason that 

 one good sound flogging, when he deserves it, is 

 far better than frequently tormenting him, and 

 is most likely to accomplish your wish, that of 

 making him steady and handy. Still I should 

 advise you never to have a young hound punished 



