140 REMINISCENCES OF 



across the park, and finding the door open opposite 

 Sweetbank, popped through it and crossed the river 

 Leven, which was in flood, ran over the farm of 

 Auchmuty to the covert at Warout, and on to 

 Woodside, where we had our first check. 



"Hopeful," "Marksman" and" Fencer" showed 

 a line down the side of the road, and a note on the 

 horn brought the rest on. The fox crossed the farm 

 of Pitteuchar, ran up the side of the Lochty burn 

 for two miles until opposite Sheddoway, where he 

 crossed. The water was very deep owing to the 

 floods. Mr. Ridley, 7th Hussars, who had already 

 given the field a lead by jumping the five-barred 

 locked gate on the Leslie railway, jumped off his 

 horse and ran through the water up to his middle. 

 Sir R. Anstruther, Haig, Ritchie, Christie and I 

 crossed about fifty yards higher up and Colonel 

 Balfour lower down without leaving their saddles, 

 but many of the field got wet jackets. Forward 

 over the farm of Fosterton, across the branch line 

 to Dunfermline and over the river Orr, hounds 

 being well to our left, and about a mile further on 

 the fox crossed the road we were in. Hounds about 

 a field behind him, ran up into a corner, where there 

 was a flock of sheep and checked for a minute. A 

 woman at a house told me where he had gone. I 

 then discovered I had lost a shoe ; kept on down 

 the lane to Dunnikier (leaving Balbeggie to our 

 left). At Dunnikier I rode into the stableyard. 

 Met Melrose bringing out a horse, followed by 

 Towney on his feet. I said, " I've lost a shoe, lend 



