The Washington critic., 1888-01-07
MASTER or THE HOUNDS.

MASTER or THE HOUNDS.
Qualifications of tile Successful Hunts
man-Tantniizing tho Pack--"Blood."
If a hunter is sufficiently verscd in
the craft and has the physical strength,
as well as devotion to the cause, to go
through the fatigue-and it is very
considerable-of drawing coyerts (by
far the most wearisome part of the
whole business), halloaing his hounds
away to their fox, cheering them in
chase, as well as always being close to
them during run, he will do well to
hunt them himself; but 1t is task of
all things that demands endurance,
patience, kcenness, in eminent degree,
and above all, in order to be sue
cessful, an intuitive, Unborn knowl-
edge of hunting. He must, moreover,
or at least he ought to, spend great
deal of his time in his kennels, often
draw out the hounds to feed, walk
them out in the airing meadow, and
in every way so familiarize himself
with them that they will care for no
one but him, will fly to his halloa,
turning to his voice or even hand,
and, in their own way, absolutely talk
to him.
II is not, however, every man who,
fond as he may be Of hounds and ca
pable of hunting them, cares to or can
devote so much time and attention to
them at home-added to which the
kennels are often several miles from
his house; but, even without the per-
formance of all these domestic details,
he will have them as much under
command and as ready to work for
him as he can wish if his hunting of
them is good enough and If they get
that confidence in his appreciation of
them, and his power to guide or help
them, which is Indispensable to sport.
Above all, If he is as anxious to kill
as they are themselves, and if, when
he has his fox in hand, more es-
pecially at the end of hard run or q
long day, he breaks him up in style,
making the very most of the obse-
quies, and tantalizing them with the
expected worry till they are almost
frantic.
To see master or huntsman hold
ing his fox high in air, big dog pack
in front of him, every hound mad
with expectation and baying with that
savage, angry note only heard when
they are about to eat him, and then,
with q last "Wharp. tellyo, tellyo p'
dash the fox into their faces, to be
torn in an instant into hundred
tatters Of brown"-this sight is
enough to stir even limpid spirit
and make it feel there is something
in fox hunting. There is q great deal
| of moonshine talked about "blood, u
but hounds run just as fast whether
they kill or not. 1t is their instinct
to chase--to drive their hardest on
the scent, according as it serves them
and it makes no difference
whether they have broken up q
brace of foxes in the morning OF
not as to how they will settle tC
| their afternoon fox. The primary
business of the huntsman is said to bt
to kill the fox; our own opinion is
that it is much more to show sport
and if we were master of any hun
servants who used unfair means, sucl
as heading him back into their mouths
at the end of covert, they would no
do it second time and stay with us
"Blood" is q mania with many goot
men, but most of all is it carried Il
excess in the clubbing season. From
the beginning Of September, often {
fortnight earlier, for several weeks
the practice is 10 take out about thirty
couples Of hounds, the majority being
old, or working ones, at daylight
throw them into some small spinnery
or other place where there is knowr
to be litter, and literally "mop up
brace or leash of the unsophisticateC
youngsters before they have eve
heard the sound of horn or hound
What young hounds want to learn frs
and. foremost is to put their noses dowI
and hunt line by scent; and they ar,
certainly not likely to do this by bein,
turned loose in some inclosure, wher,
they are for the greater part of tn
time performing natural feats of valo
after hares and rabbits. The real Sc
cret of this slaughter of the innocent
is to aggrandize the total of masks a
the end of the season. A crack pacl
that goes out four and five days ;
week will, in a good open season
bring to hand from seventy to
hundred brace of foxes. But hoy
many of these have been killed be
fore even October 1-before 8 o'clocl
in the morning-and not before NOR
than q dozen people-why, nearl,
half of them Outing.