THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 169 



seized him by the coat, but fortunately without 

 doing more damage than merely rending the 

 garment. Once indeed he very nearly brought 

 an old friend of Russell's, Dr. George Owen, 

 to serious grief. They were riding in chase 

 side by side — the hounds running hard — when 

 Cottager, in a sudden paroxysm of temper, 

 made a fierce grab at Owen's horse ; but, 

 luckily, instead of catching him with his teeth, 

 he only caught the saddle-cloth and one 

 skirt of the rider's coat. These he tore from 

 the back of both, leaving the worthy doctor — 

 the "Owen swift and Owen strong'" of that 

 countrv — in the ludicrous predicament of Bailie 

 Nicol Jarvie, when cut down bv the dirk of 

 the Highland gillie. 



On another occasion, Russell, when riding 

 Cottager and hunting with a new draft from the 

 Hambledon Hounds, found a fox near Beaford 

 Moor, and pressed him in cover so sharply that 

 he turned short and broke away, unknown to 

 him, down wind. Losing sight of the pack, 

 and fancying he viewed a tail-hound at the 

 extreme end of the moor, he rode up, and there 

 found an Irish packman, Peter Dougan by 

 name, standing on a bank, and blown by the 

 chase ; but still staring after it with bated breath 

 and longing eyes. 



" Have you seen the hounds, my man ? " 

 inquired Russell, eagerly. 



