Olden Times. 71 



by recalling to his mind the days when youth, and 

 strength, and buoyancy gave zest to the delights of 

 the chase. 



Amongst the most celebrated packs of former days 

 was that of Lord Spencer's, yclept the The Old Pytchiey 

 Pytchley. They hunted alternately the Club Days. 

 Althorp and Pytchley countries. After having hunted 

 one for about six weeks, they removed to the other 

 kennel, and vice versa. The boundaries of each were 

 as scrupulously observed as if they had belonged to 

 different packs. If they lost or killed on the confines 

 of one country, they never drew for a second fox in 

 the adjoining one, but went back to the one they were 

 hunting at the time ; the consequence was they were 

 continually drawing blanks, neither country being 

 large enough for the length of time they remained in 

 it. Assheton Smith (father of the late T. A. Smith), 

 Doughty and Conyers, Lemon and Bligh, were con- 

 stant inmates of Pytchley ; and the Old Blues, who 

 were for many years quartered at Northampton, were 

 almost identified with the country. They have left 

 an imperishable name, in that they made what is now 

 called " The Blue Covert," near Harrington Wharf. 

 There is an old story, that one morning the whole 

 party went to lunch with Sam Isted, at Ecton. For- 

 getting the hour of the day, they indulged rather 

 freely in the claret-cup ; and on their return they fol- 

 lowed Conyers into a deep morass on the edge of 

 Orlingbury Field, and which is called "Conyers' Bog" 

 to this day. 



The first huntsman of whom we have j^j^j^ Knight 

 any knowledge was Knight, commonly 

 called Mr. Knight, but of whose qualities we have 

 httle information. He was succeeded by the illus- 

 trious Dick Knight, who hunted the hounds as long 

 as Lord Spencer kept them. His character has been 

 so fully described elsewhere, that we will not dilate 

 upon it. At that time, many of the gentlemen of the 



