It has been erroneously conceived, by some theoretic and _newly-entered_ sportsmen, that it is the business of a whipper-in to attend closely upon the huntsman, to receive his commands, and execute his orders; which is by no means the case. If he is on the opposite side of the covert to the huntsman, he is in his proper place; and if within hearing of his _halloo_, he is near enough; for that is the signal it is the province of the whipper-in to obey. The second whipper-in may occasionally attend upon the huntsman, to act as a field _aid de camp_, when he is not required by circumstances to be active elsewhere. The first whipper-in should of course be qualified to hunt the hounds, if necessary: nothing can be better calculated to keep a huntsman within the bounds of decency and good manners; as they in general are by no means deficient in the assumption of imaginary consequence, when once they have imbibed an opinion of their own superiority. When hounds are taken from the kennel, it is the place of the first whipper-in to go before, and of the second to come at some distance behind them. If permitted to follow too near, however great the necessity may be, the poor animals will never be allowed time to empty themselves; for these juvenile whippers-in, upon their initiation, conceive it their proper element to be always in a gallop, and incessantly whipping the hounds whenever they can get at them. The first whipper-in should be of light weight, great agility, quick conception, of much personal fortitude, and an excellent horseman. With these qualifications, he has it always in his power to exert and display his ability to advantage. While the huntsman slicks close to his headmost hounds, the whipper-in can give proof of his judgment in various ways: he can _clap forward_ to any great earth that may be open; he may _sink the wind_, to view and halloo a fox when the scent fails, or keep him off _his soil_: he may avail himself of the first opportunity to _stop_ the _tail hounds_, and get them forward; and he has it constantly in his power to assist the hounds, if he has penetration to discover where, and at what time, it is most wanted. The making and keeping a pack steady, depend entirely upon him; as it is not the province of a huntsman either to _rate_ or _flog_ a hound, if it can consistently be avoided.