COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 23 



ever stops the hounds, and we have very few blank 

 days ; and it must possess very great attractions to 

 some, for I can say this, that although I have never 

 seen all the members for the county and the borough 

 at the meet of the Pytchley, yet the St. Stephen's 

 pack manages to attract them all at the same time. 

 The St. Stephen's pack js in the same condition as 

 the Pytchley ; we have lately had a change of master- 

 ship, and we have not only a new master, but we 

 have an entirely new pack of hounds. You know it 

 is a different thing the taking up an old pack, and 

 getting a scratch lot of dogs together, and last season 

 we had the advantage of seeing collected together, at 

 our first meet, dogs of all sizes and colours. In fact 

 I heard some very ill-natured people remark that 

 some of the dogs had been at the " ratting" business 

 before. In all hunts there was a difference of opinion 

 how sport should be conducted, and I should not like 

 to give you my opinion how the St. Stephen's pack 

 hunted the last season, but I am told the new master 

 was exceedingly well satisfied with the performances 

 of his hounds. He said, at all events, they had one 

 very great run over a very severe country, and killed 

 their fox, and he was consequently much delighted. 

 Critics, however and they had critics in the St. 

 Stephen's hunt, and he was one of the number said 

 the master lifted the hounds. Now, I have got that 

 weight that I am obliged to ride to hunt, and not 

 hunt to ride, and I must confess I am an admirer of 

 that style of hunting in which the hounds and not the 

 huntsman hunt the fox. The master was very proud 



