AULD LANG SYNE. 339 



must have been fully aware of their great defect, but 

 he had nothing to do with the breeding, as Sir 

 Thomas, we believe, managed that department en- 

 tirely himself. Stephen weighed upwards of twenty 

 stone, and could of course never be there at a critical 

 moment. 



Sir Thomas was unlucky in his huntsmen. In 

 early days he had the great Mr. Shawe a fine horse- 

 man, and a cheery one over the country if things 

 went well ; but if they could not hunt him, he tried 

 to hunt him himself, and he soon got their heads up. 

 He afterwards had a huntsman named Teesdale, who 

 had been a coachman, and knew better how to handle 

 the ribbons than to handle a scent. Hence he was 

 driven to old Stephen, who, if he could have been re- 

 duced ten stone, would have been invaluable ; but, 

 except as a kennel huntsman, he did him little good. 

 Although Stephen had little sport with Sir Thomas, 

 he had an extraordinary season in Oxfordshire in 

 1799-1800, with Lord Sefton. They had a pack of 

 hounds, the refuse of every kennel, and tainted with 

 every fault pushers, skirters, some which had not 

 power to go up to a scent, and some which would go 

 without one. However, it being a wonderful scent- 

 ing season, they had such a year's sport as was pro- 

 bably never known in Oxfordshire before or since* 

 Stephen went with Lord Sefton into Leicestershire, 

 where he hunted the young pack, and showed the 

 greatest science in breaking them ; and he after- 

 wards came to Sir Thomas, where he remained till 

 he gave it up. 



The late Mr. Drake was a sportsman of the highest 

 caste, and when he got Sir Thomas's hounds he very 

 soon changed their character. They wanted nothing 

 but tongue, which he soon gave them. He got a 

 hound or two from Lord Yarborough, and sent his 

 bitches whenever he thought he could get a cross to 

 suit him. Every one who hunted with him latterly 



