262 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



to me that the interlocutor possibly did not know to 

 whom he was speaking, for Lord Spencer was wearing 

 a black frock-coat, which fact enables me to fix the 

 date, just after the death of the Duke of Clarence. 



Another altogether delightful M.F.H., though a 

 very different sort of man from the "Red Earl," was 

 John Lawrence. Let me not be misunderstood to 

 imply that there was anything but position between 

 the two men, for Lawrence had in a wonderful way 

 the "grand manner" of a past day. 



How great was his popularity, especially amongst 

 west country and Welsh hunting men and women, 

 was proved at the time of his testimonial. Lawrence's 

 was a personality to which one would naturally attach 

 " good stories " ; but though I was more or less 

 brought up in his country, and hunted with him, 

 albeit at long intervals, for years, I fail to recollect 

 anything of the sort. Of his hunt there were stories 

 galore, especially concerning his queer one-handed 

 huntsman, Evan ; but these as a rule are too Rabe- 

 laisian for publication. As a hound-breeder he was 

 pre - eminent, for he had the art of breeding his 

 hounds, not for this or that good quality, hut for the 

 purpose of hilling foxes. This, I believe, was the 

 secret of his success. 



One cannot think of Welsh Masters — though by 

 the way the Llangibby is so entirely English as even 

 to have another pack ^ between them and the Welsh 

 border-line — without pausing at the name of Mr W. 

 R. H. Powell, so long a Master in Carmarthenshire. 

 In strict fact I have no right to include that gentle- 

 man in the list of masters I have known, because, 

 though having pleasant memories of good sport in 



1 Lord Tredegar's — now discontinued. 



