177 



CHAPTER XX. 



WITH THE PYTCHLEY. 



** Mr Jorrocks," we are told by Surtees in his 

 immortal work/ at length ventured right down into 

 the heaven of heavens — the grass — or what he calls 

 the " cut 'em down countries." Our writer never 

 clearly defined what he meant by the " heaven of 

 heavens," but he is generally understood to mean 

 what we now call par excellence " The Shires," in 

 which expression the counties of Leicester, Rutland, 

 West Lincoln, and Northampton are included. This 

 latter is the county hunted by the Pytchley. 



Few packs are better known, and no other has yet 

 had to fix certain of its meets at abnormally early 

 hours in the hope of lessening the enormous crowd 

 which appears at those gatherings. In my experience 

 these meets are only equalled in size by those of the 

 Devon and Somerset Staghounds, where ^\q hundred 

 horsemen and as manv carriao'es is no uncommon 

 sight. But there is room for all on the wide moor, 

 and no farmers to complain of damage done to crops, 

 except, indeed, by the deer. I have never attended 

 one of the Pytchley early meets, but I am told that 

 the attendance at them is only little lessened by the 

 ^ Handley Cross, chap. vii. p. 57, original edition. 



M 



