COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 215 



The season commenced on 31st August — the 

 earliest I remember. Hounds all commenced cub- 

 hunting from Harleswynd kennel. West pack went 

 to Cowdenbeath on 6th October after hunting at 

 Blair Adam. 



1 8th September. — Ran a fox to ground on the 

 hill behind Pitlour. When I took the hounds away 

 Jack Shepherd heard something moaning, went back, 

 and found " Old Mariner " very much injured. He 

 had gone to ground after the fox, and the hounds 

 had bit him all over his hind legs and flanks. He 

 was so bad we were obliged to kill him. 



1st December, 1877. — Met at Path of Condie. 

 Horses, " Plum Pudding," J.A.T. ; " Tom-Cat," Jack ; 

 " Jubilee," George ; " Alec," J. Capel. Seventeen 

 couple. Fine morning, but windy. Drove Donald- 

 son to Ladybank and on by train to Bridge of Earn. 

 Found at Invermay ; ran hard through " Silly 

 Whinny " to Clow. There hounds ran clean away 

 from us. After gaping about for half an hour we got 

 word that a policeman saw them cross the road near 

 Greenhill going towards Craig Rossie, about six 

 miles off. John Richmond and I and Capel set off 

 across the hill on a sheep track. Luckily we hit on 

 a hand-gate on the march fence, as it is all wired, and 

 on getting to top of hill we saw nothing but sheep 

 and carrion crows. After blowing and holloaing for 

 some time a single hound came to me covered with 

 blood. I said to myself, " It's all right ; they have 

 killed him." Another came with his chest all 

 covered with blood. I saw that there was more 



