Mr. Herbert Langham^ s MastersJiip, 2 



J 



Were it not for the " glorious uncertainty " of all 

 things connected with the ^^ Chase " as well as with the 

 '' Turf," the " P.H/' might confidently look forward to 

 a long continuance under its present Master, whose 

 record already beats that of all his predecessors since 

 1818, 



A few years ago, when the dire trouble of all connected 

 with " dirtj acres " first set in, it was prophesied that 

 hunting was tottering to its fall, and had but a short time 

 to live. It was said that one pack of hounds after 

 another would die out for the lack of the necessary 

 aliment, and that their place would know them no more. 

 There is nothing, however, so safe to back as the un- 

 expected. While these lines are being written, the 

 number of packs in England and Scotland is much the 

 same as it was in 1880. Captain (^' Bobby'') Soames, 

 secretary to the ^^ P,H.,'' and lord of the little paradise in 

 the unelysianic village of Scaldwell, bad to beat when 

 hounds run hard, and mounted as so good a sportsman 

 should be, can testify that the financial position of the 

 Pytchley never wore a more promising aspect than it 

 does at the present moment (July, 1886). 



How this is so, considering the portentous falling off 

 in the amounts contributed by the old local Subscribers, 

 it is hard to say -, but the fact of its being so is a gleam 

 of sunshine in the midst of the gloom surrounding many 

 an old sportsman ; a gloom through which he is unable 

 to see his way to farther enjoyment of the sport which, 

 through many a year, has formed the chief one of his life. 

 Happily the prices given for yearlings, books, pictures, 

 china, and bric-a-brac of all sorts, prove that thero is 

 plenty of money somewhere. The coflfers of the ^' Beer- 



