382 mms ot tbe 1f^untinc*3Fiel^ 



could ride, and he therefore invited six of his tenant 

 farmers to come over for a week's hunting, under- 

 taking to mount each of them and pay all ex- 

 penses. The invitation was eagerly accepted, and, 

 mounted on the pick of the basket from the Vice-regal 

 stables, those six sturdy English fox-hunters did credit 

 to the land that bore them ; indeed, they astonished the 

 ' bruisers ' of Meath, by the ease with which they found 

 their way across an unknown and difficult country. 



On the fall of Mr Gladstone's Ministry in 1874, Lord 

 Spencer was released from the cares of office, and once 

 more took up the Mastership of the Pytchley. In 1877, 

 owing to an accident to Goodall, the huntsman, his lord- 

 .ship took the horn himself and proved himself a perfect 

 workman, gifted with that patience and self-possession 

 which are the essentials of a true huntsman. Like the 

 sixth Duke of Beaufort, he could give a stinging rebuke in 

 the most polite language. On one occasion in 1877 he 

 had requested Captain Riddell to give him a lead over 

 an awkward place out of a wood. The Captain did 

 so ; but, before Lord Spencer could follow, a thrusting 

 stranger jumped right across in front of him and 

 ' scattered ' him. Instead of bursting into a torrent of 

 abuse. Lord Spencer said quietly, ' I am very much 

 obliged to you, sir; upon my word, I am. Did you come 

 far to do this ? ' But urbane and courteous though 

 he always was, he could nevertheless be a very stern 

 disciplinarian. 



' No regiment of dragoons,' says Mr Nethercote, ' was 

 kept under stricter discipline than a Pytchley field at 

 the time of which we are speaking. Woe betide the 

 adventurous wight who risked a short cut to the next 

 " draw," or in any way seemed out of the place which in 



