NOTITIA VENATICA. 37 



vouch. The first I liad from Thomas Smitli, kennel huntsman to Mr. Mus- 

 ters ; a person who was not only an eye-witness of the fact, but one of the 

 actors in this interesting performance at the time it took place ; and since 

 that I have had the account confirmed by Mr. M. himself. With regard 

 to the second, I can assure my readers that it happened at my own 

 kennel, and, therefore, I can myself answer for the truth of it. 



Almost all fox-hunters know, or at any rate must have heard, of Mr, 

 Musters, of Colwick, who is deservedly placed at the head of the list of 

 all huntsmen, whether amateurs or professionals ; he has brought up 

 and instructed more servants as huntsmen, whijjpers-in, and feeders, 

 than all the rest of the masters of hounds put together. Within these 

 few years there were no less than five huntsmen hunting crack packs of 

 hounds at the same time, all of whom had Icai'ned their first rudiments 

 under this skilful performer. Mr. Musters has had many imitators, but 

 no rivals ; when working, there is an indescribable communion between 

 him and his pack, which has been attained by no one else, and, on that 

 account, all who have been gratified by the performance of his celebrated 

 pack, either in Nottinghamshire or in the Pytchley country, must be 

 couA'inced that he is decidedly the most skilful amateur huntsman that 

 ever cheered a hound, and can draw forth the hidden powers and capa- 

 biHties of that animal, on a bad scenting da}"-, to a greater degree than 

 any man in England.* The attachment which his hounds always evince 

 towards him, when approaching them on a hunting morning, is most 

 striking ; and those who have so frequently seen it will not, on that 

 account, be so much astonished at the following anecdote. During one 

 of the seasons that Mr. Musters hunted Northamptonshire, the hounds 

 were to meet at that well-known cover, Badby Wood, and were taken 

 on the day previous by his huntsman, Smith, who lived so many years 

 with Lord Middleton, and afterwards with Mr. Osbaldeston, to sleep at 

 the Bull's Head, at Weedon. On arriving at a place where the road 

 from Northampton converges into the road by Avliich they were travelling, 

 suddenly some of the most forward of them became restless, and, by 

 their manner, their huntsman concluded that a disturbed fox had crossed 

 near that place ; in a few moments the Avhole pack, which had been fed, 

 and were dreaming as they plodded along of the "joys of the next 

 coming day," became roused from their torpor, and in one moment 

 more were "away;" the huntsman swore the devil was in them, the 

 whippers rode and rated to no purpose ; at last, in turning a corner, 

 about a mile further on, who should be seen but Mr. Musters himself, 

 who had come by the second road, and was jogging quietly along on the 

 hack which usually carried him to cover, to dine and sleep, previously 

 to hunting, at the house of a gentleman in that neighbourhood. The 

 Squire, no doubt, almost fancied that he had "had his day," and that, 

 like the canine attendants of his predecessor Acta^on, his faithful follow- 

 ers were immediately about to perform his obsequies. An attempt to 



* One of tlie greatest compliments ever paid by a huntsman to a young master of 

 liounds, was the circumstance of old Sam Law'.ey, who was many years huntsman to 

 the late Lord Vernon, leaving his horn as a legacy at his death to Mr. Ivlusters, 

 declaring with becoming pride that he knew no young sportsman !>o uowcrviuij- of it. 



