Lord Spencer's Mastership. 207 



a storm — a flock of sheep — a change in the atmosphere — 

 a shepherd dog — or an unknown drain. In short ^^ there^s 

 always a something ;" and nowhere more than in the 

 pursuit of the ^' wily animal.'^ 



It is a singular but indisputable fact^ that however good 

 a man may be as first or second Whip, he is by no means 

 sure to succeed in the more important position of Hunts- 

 man. 



Tom Ranee, formerly with the Cheshire Hounds, feeling 

 that he was in his right place as first Whip, always 

 refused promotion ; and the well-known Will Derry, 

 huntsman to Lord Chesterfield, was little else than a 

 brilliant failure. 



Jack Stevens may be placed on the same list, as also 

 many another, who so far as their reputation went would 

 have been wise to have followed Tom Ranee's example, 

 and have remained content with the subordinate position. 

 To him, skilled as he was in whipping in to hounds, the 

 profession of stone-breaking would have been preferable 

 to that of Huntsman, and this because he was conscious 

 of lacking the necessary qualifications for the ofiice. 



Of all the pastimes common to Englishmen, to redress 

 thebalanceofits manifold pleasures, there is none so fraught 

 with disappointments as " the Chase."" Be it stag, fox, or 

 hare, everything hinges upon scent, and the number of 

 really good scenting-days in a season may usually be 

 reckoned on the fingers of either hand. In an able 

 article on '^ Things pertaining to Sport '' which appeared 

 in a Field of January, 1886, it is maintained tliat a 

 long course of weather, uniform in temperature, mild and 

 equable, is favourable to sport. A fifty years' experience 

 has taught the writer that in the Pytchley country, at all 

 events, the truth is to be found in the converse of this 



