A nld L ang Syne, 327 



him up in fifty minutes, or could hunt him for three 

 hours. In a catching, ticklish scent (the most difficult 

 of all), they would show their wonderful prowess. 

 Whatever it was, they would go up to it, and when 

 they could not carry it on, would lean to it, to tell you 

 which way to hold them. Charles King and Jack 

 Wood were brilliants of the first water, and what was 

 of the greatest importance, they were good friends. 

 They used to split them in their cast, and make their 

 circle in half the time that rural sportsmen are wont 

 to do, so that instead of losing time, and dropping to 

 hunting, they killed many a fox, who would other- 

 wise have w^alked away from them. They were 

 splendidly mounted, and in short the whole thing 

 was perfect. Hunting was Lord Althorp's fortCy 

 and pity it was that he ever turned his mind away 

 from it. 



Lord Spencer's (father of the late lord) was a fine 

 powerful pack, something in the style of Lord Mon- 

 son's, but they had not the sport they ought to have 

 had. Dick Knight had the whole management of 

 them, both as to breeding and hunting them. He was a 

 fine horseman, and was magnificently mounted, but he 

 had no patience. He thought he knew better than the 

 hounds, and was too fond of lifting them. There was 

 an old story of a run he had with a fox, the skin of 

 whose head was nailed over one of the stable doors at 

 Pytcheley. He found him at Sywell Wood, and re- 

 cognised him as an old friend, from a peculiar mode of 

 twisting his brush over his back. He had beat him 

 several times, and he was determined if possible to 

 have him by fair means or foul. Knowing the line he 

 had before taken, he did not lay them on the scent, 

 but lifted them beyond Orlingbury, where he viewed 

 him, and where he laid them on close at him ; at the 

 first check he lifted them again beyond Finedon, where 

 he viewed him again ; and at the next check beyond 

 Burton Wold, where he again viv^wed him ; and thus 



