102 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



a piece, in short, with former conduct to Lord Tavistock, when 

 they claimed his hounds. In addition to the support of the 

 landed interest, instead of the subscriptions falling short, my 

 subscription that year increased ; and as I had hunted the country 

 in scarlet coats the first two years, giving in to a request from 

 the Oakley Club that I would do so, I now donned the old family 

 colour and appeared in the tawny garb. 



On the third season, the very fact of my pack having too 

 much youth among them at the first, now gave me a body of 

 hounds of two years 1 experience, so that mine then began to be 

 a most powerful kennel. I think it was either at the close of the 

 second year, or before the commencement of the third, that my 

 friend Loraine Smith, hearing that I wanted a first whipper-in, 

 told me " that the Duke of Grafton in his opinion was about to 

 discharge his best man." His account of him was, a " first-rate 

 sportsman, and as hard as nails."" He informed me " that the 

 duke had decided on lessening his establishment, and parted 

 with Carter as being the least in favour." On the 10th of May, 

 I think in 1833, George Carter, Mr. Ashheton Smith's present 

 huntsman, came to me from the Duke of Grafton, after having 

 whipped-in to his Grace's hounds for three seasons. The man 

 from the Salisbury kennel having been discharged, I punished 

 Tom Skinner for his only fault, drinking, by making him second 

 whipper-in, and taking George Carter as my head man. I re- 

 member the remark of some hunting farmers at the commence- 

 ment of my third season, when early in the year we had had 

 some brilliant sport, " that they believed the Oakley foxes did 

 not know what the devil to make of the tawny coats, and that 

 they would fly the country when they were after them, as already 

 we had run into Lord Fitzwilliam's country, ere the regular 

 fixtures had begun." With a scent the foxes were obliged to go 

 somewhere, or be killed, for a strong body of hounds, then in 

 the third year of their experience, showed them no mercy, and 

 made the welkin ring again. I soon found reason to be much 

 pleased with George Carter ; not only was he quick to hounds, 

 but he had a head on his shoulders, was most observant, and an 



