DRAWING FOR THE HARE 177 



and corner of one field before entering on fresh ground. 

 Where hares jump up in view, the hounds will be wild 

 enough without increasing their eagerness by screaming. 

 Let them go away as quietly as possible, or they will 

 run over the scent, since hares when first found in enclosed 

 land generally turn short, and hare-hunters never need 

 be in a hurry or flurry on first finding their game, or at 

 any period of the chase. Hares seldom run like foxes, 

 straight away for a given point without loitering, except 

 in the month of March, when jacks sometimes travel 

 considerable distances. Foxes make for earths or drains. 

 Hares, having no such places of refuge, endeavour to 

 escape discovery by hiding in anything that will screen 

 them from view. When not severely pressed, they stop 

 and listen, loiter about, and then throw themselves 

 down anywhere. 



The scented dew 

 Betrays her early labjrrinth, and deep 

 In scattered sullen op'nings far behind. 

 With every breeze she hears the coming storm. 

 But nearer and more frequent, as it loads 

 The sighing gale, she springs amazed, and all 

 The savage soul of game is up at once ; 

 The pack full-opening, various ; the shrill horn 

 Resounding from the hills ; the neighing steed, 

 Wild for the chase ; and the loud hunter's shout, 

 O'er a weak, harmless, flying creature, all 

 Mix'd in mad tumult and discordant joy. 



Harriers seldom require casting ; in fact, as a general 

 rule, they should not be cast at all. Supposing they 

 cannot hold their line over a dry piece of fallow, fifty 

 to one the hare is in the middle of the field ; and while 

 a wild huntsman would be making a scientific cast 

 forwards, his game would take the opportunity of making 

 a more scientific cast backwards — i.e. slipping away 



