LORD MANNERS 65 



sidered it my duty as well as pleasure to watch 

 what hounds were doing, and with a field of three 

 hundred, there is not much time to observe per- 

 formers and pack. Then if you are riding to right 

 or left — as you should be — well clear of hounds, 

 it is very easy to miss seeing someone on the opposite 

 side, and it is better to mention none rather than 

 to miss out someone equally well placed. 



Mr. Jon Kks, in one of his sporting lectures, re- 

 marks that " the finest receipt for making men ride 

 is shaking a sporting hauthor afore them at startin'." 

 I don't think that is quite the right spirit to encour- 

 age, and if the desire to see hounds as well as a 

 natural wish to be first does not inspire to deeds of 

 daring, they had better be content to ride in the 

 ruck. 



I look on the master and hunt servants as public 

 men, but the field being composed of private in- 

 dividuals, who go hunting for their own amuse- 

 ment, it seems rather like taking a liberty to put 

 their names in print. In the lecture aforementioned, 

 Jorrocks, pointing out the difference between Beck- 

 ford and a sporting writer he quotes, says the former 

 is for the pack and the latter for the performer. I 

 have tried to follow Peter's footsteps and en- 

 deavoured to record the doings of the pack. 



Here, however, in these recollections of the 

 past I do not hesitate to make use of names — a 

 newspaper seems more public, and then a large 

 majority of those I mention have stepped off the 

 stage. 



On Mr. Coupland's resignation the hounds were 

 bought by three of the largest supporters of the 

 Quorn for £3000. Firr's skill as a huntsman had 

 5 



