i64 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



his horn in his hand he met the malcontents, when 

 Derry said : " Why, surely you are not going to hunt 

 them ? You can't know them nor they you." " Never 

 mind," was the reply ; " they'll know me as well 

 as they know you in an hour or two." The new 

 Master trotted away, and the whole village assembled 

 to discuss the situation with the recalcitrant servants, 

 who prophesied the ignominious return of the Master 

 without a single hound. But Mr. Smith hunted a 

 fox in Sywell Wood for two hours, marked him to 

 ground, and brought every hound home. Soon after, 

 Mr. Smith, still without regular servants, killed a 

 fox from Nobottle Wood, a covert of Lord Spencer's, 

 to the astonishment of King, " my Lord's old huntsman 

 and the best that ever was," From that day Mr. 

 Smith's reputation was made, though his troubles 

 were not over. He showed excellent sport during 

 the time that he remained. After two seasons he 

 resigned, though the farmers and yeomen of the 

 hunt signed a letter of regret and stated that the 

 country had never been hunted more satisfactorily 

 even by the celebrated Mr. Musters or Mr. Osbaldeston. 



To Mr. Smith succeeded Sir Francis Goodricke, and 

 I mention his mastership because it was marked by 

 the fact that a pauper in receipt of out-door relief, 

 mounted on an old bay horse, actually appeared at 

 the meets and shared in the chase. After a time, 

 however, the patience of the guardians of the poor 

 broke down, and, though possibly not without sympathy 

 for the pauper in the matter of hunting, it was decreed 

 that no one in receipt of relief should be permitted 

 to hunt. The story goes that the pauper hunted 

 on foot henceforth, and the old horse was eaten by 

 the hounds ! 



Surely at no period of its history was the Pytchley 



