COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 23 



ever stops the hounds, and we have very few blank 

 days ; and it must possess very great attractions to 

 some, for I can say this, that although I have never 

 seen all the members for the county and the borough 

 at the meet- of the Pytchley, yet the St. Stephen's 

 pack manages to attract them all at the same time. 

 The St. Stephen's pack is in the same condition as 

 the Pytchley ; we have lately had a change of master- 

 ship, and we have not only a new master, but we 

 have an entirely new pack of hounds. You know it 

 is a different thing the taking up an old pack, and 

 getting a scratch lot of dogs together, and last season 

 we had the advantage of seeing collected together, at 

 our first meet, dogs of all sizes and colours. In fact 

 I heard some very ill-natured people remark that 

 some of the doos had been at the " ratting- " business 

 before. In all hunts there was a difference of opinion 

 how sport should be conducted, and I should not like 

 to give you my opinion how the St. Stephen's pack 

 hunted the last season, but I am told the new master 

 was exceedingly well satisfied with the performances 

 of his hounds. He said, at all events, they had one 

 very great run over a very severe country, and killed 

 their fox, and he was consequently much delighted. 

 Critics, however — and they had critics in the St. 

 Stephen's hunt, and he was one of the number — said 

 the master lifted the hounds. Now, I have got that 

 weight that I am obliged to ride to hunt, and not 

 hunt to ride, and I must confess I am an admirer of 

 that style of hunting in which the hounds and not the 

 huntsman hunt the fox. The master was very proud 



