Soon after my entry I was taken under the protection of an old hound called Trimbush, and the favourite one in the pack. He had been hunted six seasons, and, as may be supposed, was awake to every wrinkle.
“Hounds, like men,” said he, one day, as we stretched ourselves together in the shade of a large chestnut-tree overhanging the court, “should first learn their duties, and then perform them. Now, young-un, I’ve taken a fancy to you,” continued he, giving me a playful flip with the tip of his stern; “and if you follow my advice you will save yourself many a stinging cut from our Whip’s double-thong. He hits terribly hard, I assure ye.”
“Does he?” replied I, believing, in my innocence, that such a good-tempered, laughing fellow would scarcely brush a fly from our hackles.
“So you’ll say,” continued my friend, “when you’ve tasted it.”
“But I mean to avoid flogging,” I rejoined, “by obeying orders.”
“Pooh, pooh,” returned Trimbush, testily. “Intentions are good enough; but a fig for orders when the blood’s up! I don’t always obey them myself, old as I am. However, as you haven’t yet viewed a fox, it’s no use my mentioning anything about the field. We shall begin cub-hunting in a few weeks, and then you will get a little insight as to what you are to do there. In the meantime I’ll cut some notches in your memory regarding kennel discipline, and relate a few peculiarities concerning your companions.”
“Thank you,” said I to the friendly offer.
“In the first place I should tell you,” began Trimbush, “that the best step to take at the outset is to endeavour to become a favourite with those in authority over you. This is easily acquired, by doing that which you are told cheerfully, and without the trouble of compulsion being exercised. For it’s one thing to disobey an order when hunting, and quite another in the kennel. We all love our huntsman, Will Sykes; but he is very strict, and never allows a fault to pass without a rate or the thong being applied. When called, walk up to him with your ears thrown back smilingly, and carry your stern high and proudly. Will can’t bear a hound to look like a sneak. Don’t be quarrelsome at feeding time, or indeed at any other; for although family differences will occasionally arise over the meal and broth, never be among the first to cause them. I am far from meaning by this that you are not to maintain your rights; on the contrary, you, like everything that lives, not only possess them, but are bound, in self-defence, to support them. There is as much danger, if not more, in always giving way to the domineering of tyrants as in acting the tyrant yourself; although,” continued Trimbush, with a growl at the reminiscence, “the results proved the same here not more than three seasons since.”
“How was that?” inquired I.
“Why,” replied he, “in all packs there is a master hound, who lords it over the rest just as he pleases. Now it frequently happens that this master becomes a regular bully, and so worries and torments his companions, that there is no living in comfort with him. We had a governor of this kind three years ago, and what do you think we did?”