HUNTSMEN SOMETIMES PUPPIES. 137 



a Huntsman who is first-rate as a kennel Huntsman, 

 and moderately good in the field, supposing the entire 

 management of the pack was left to him, would during 

 a season show more sport than if his attributes were 

 reversed. If I am M^rong in this opinion, I am (as I 

 hope I am on every occasion) open to correction. 

 My reasons for having always held this opinion are, 

 that if the pack are bad in themselves, the best Chase 

 Huntsman on earth cannot make them good ; if they 

 are good (in a general way), the less a Huntsman 

 interferes with them the better. I have known many 

 crack coachmen, whose great fault was driving too 

 much. Mayne, whom I have mentioned as a race- 

 rider, though a most superior horseman, always rode 

 too much : he never could keep quiet in his saddle, 

 but was always doing something with his horse, and 

 sometimes beat him by doing what he considered was 

 assisting him. I have seen many crack Huntsmen 

 who I felt perfectly convinced hunted their hounds 

 too much ; in short, wanted to kill their fox by their 

 own sagacity instead of allowing their hounds to do 

 so by theirs, and would all but take them off their 

 noses to get the credit of a knowing cast — a degree 

 of puppyism and arrogance in a Huntsman which I 

 consider quite unpardonable. I shall quote an in- 

 stance of this kind of thing, and the Huntsman's 

 excuse for it. Hounds were running with a burning 

 scent, but came to a check : a couple or two shortly 

 hit it off; the pack joined, and away they were going, 

 Avhen, to every one's astonishment, the First Whip 

 was sent to get them back, the Huntsman riding, hal- 

 looino-, and blowino; his horn in a diiFerent direction. 

 He made a cast, but not a hound o^vned the vestige 

 of a scent ; so he was forced to try back (hateful at 



