136 COVERT-SIDE SKETCHES. 



previously been reserved for spring and autumn hunting ; and 

 here, with Fred Percival as huntsman, they had some very fair 

 sport for a time. Mr. ^N'aylor was unfortunate in his men, as 

 Machin, although a wonderfully hard rider, did not succeed 

 very well in other respects ; and when he left and John Squires, 

 who had been in liussia, took the horn quite in the cub- 

 hunting, he found not only a short kennel of hounds, but 

 that he had a very slack, curious lot to work with. However, 

 he was a most energetic man, and thoroughly understood his 

 business, so that much better sport than any one could have 

 anticipated was the result. At the end of that season Lord 

 Spencer, to the delight of every one, again took the country. 

 He secured Will Goodall, who had been under Frank Gillard 

 at Belvoir, as his huntsman, Tom Goddard going on as first 

 whip, and at once set to work to buy hounds, and bring 

 things once more into working order. In fact, he made a 

 large offer for the Puckeridge, which Mr. Parry was then 

 giving up ; but that gentleman preferred their remaining in 

 their own country, so it was not accepted. Of course, with 

 a strange huntsman, and hounds strange to each other, there 

 was some little difficulty in getting things to go smoothly at first ; 

 but Lord Spencer kept his field in such order, and is such 

 a good general, that huntsman and hounds have a much better 

 chance with him than under many masters. In the course of the 

 second season Goodall had the misfortune to break his leg, so 

 that Lord Spencer was called upon to take the horn ; and he 

 was very successful in the capacity of huntsman, and showed 

 capital sport. 



The next season Mr. Watson gave up the North Pytchley, 

 and Lord Spencer resumed the woodlands, keeping a separate 

 pack and whips to hunt it two days a week, when Goodall went 

 there and took the horn, his lordship hunting the other pack 

 two days in the week as successfully as before. 



A great part of the Pytchley country is very beautiful, as the 

 coverts are small and it carries a good scent — the country round 



