CHASING AND RACING 73 



And now came the problem of the pack. It is 

 true that Mr. Longman was willing to sell his little lot 

 en bloc ; but from what I had seen of them I was not 

 greatly impressed. Moreover, I considered the figure 

 quoted to be much too inflated. Austen Mackenzie 

 was taking his pack with him to Brigstock, where, some 

 time previously, I had spent happy days with Lord 

 Lonsdale and his sporting friends and relatives when 

 he was hunting the Woodland Pytchley country. The 

 Lowther family is linked up with the de Fonblanques 

 my mother was a daughter of the judge of that ilk by 

 marriage ; but I became acquainted with the ubiqui- 

 tous and popular Earl through our mutual love of a 

 good terrier. At Lowther Castle a famous old strain 

 had been fostered for generations ; but through " in 

 breeding," or some other cause, it had deteriorated. 

 His lordship, having heard that I was something of an 

 expert in this line, wrote me an interesting letter telling 

 me all about his strain, and asking my advice as to its 

 regeneration and betterment ; whereupon I offered to 

 send him, to Brigstock, a coupled of stud dogs which 

 could be used as occasion might require. An invita- 

 tion to visit the hunting box followed, and a very happy 

 and interesting time I had of it. The Earl had 

 married Lady Grace Gordon, sister of the then Marquis 

 of Huntley. She was a sporting enthusiast, and so 

 were her sisters, Lady Maggie Gore, Lady Elena 

 Wickham, Lady Ethel Wickham, and their respective 

 husbands ; whilst her brothers, Lords Esme and 



