COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 29 



contributed to take the spirit out of them and make 

 them generally slack. They never seemed to have 

 any dash on to begin the day's work as if they 

 liked it. I cannot but think that a good opportunity 

 was sometimes lost because the first whip was afraid 

 to take any responsibility on himself. For instance, 

 at the beginning of a day, when there could be no 

 question whether the fox was a hunted one or not, 

 I have seen Roake stop the pack when they had got 

 away from Sywell Wood on good terms with their 

 fox, because Captain Thomson was not up. When 

 he did come up, the hounds were laid on again, but 

 it was then too late. On the other hand, no master 

 of hounds or huntsman ever made himself so popular 

 with the Northamptonshire farmers. Though he 

 led the field over very stiff fences, and through the 

 roughest places, his style of hunting was favourable 

 to horses that were not in tip-top condition. He 

 knew every one that was in the habit of hunting 

 with the Pytchley, and his genial manner made 

 him justly and universally liked. It is sometimes 

 said that the death of the fox is the test of good 

 hunting. For my part, I would only admit such a 

 test with qualifications ; for the chance of a really 

 good run it may be sometimes right to risk losing 

 ' the line '. Of course this is to be taken as the 

 expression of my own opinion, and not as com- 

 mitting any one else. Captain Thomson has many 

 ardent admirers, and, after all, the question is one 

 of taste. The best sportsman is he who shows the 

 best sport, and what is not sport is a question of 



