KEIR TO FIFE KENNELS. 341 



or Kirkcaldy side, and the officers from Jock's 

 Lodge barracks. Sir Hope Grant, Captain Percy 

 Williams, and the 9th Lancers were there. John 

 Walker used to say that there were sometimes nearly 

 thirty in the field who would all make huntsmen 

 or first-whips, and no small credit to him for the 

 teaching he gave them. 



"Lord Elcho and Sir David Baird were often 

 with them, and so were Major Douglas and Lord 

 Kintore ; three Captains, Hay on Wasp, Wemyss on 

 his bay Driver, and Wedderburn on his thorough- 

 breds, all went well; and so did Mr. Gillespie of Mount 

 Quhanny, Lord Rothes of Leslie (a light weight), the 

 two Stewarts of St. Fort, Mr. Balfour, Mr. W^hyte 

 Melville on Malvern, General Lawrenson, and others 

 still going or gone. Tom Smith, Jack Jones, Stephen 

 Goodall, and Cooper, all whipped in to Walker, whose 

 favourite horses were Grocer, Doctor, Kitty, Lucy, 

 Clinker, Farmer, Major, and the grey mare Nutmeg. 

 There were no hounds for one season after the pack 

 were sold; but Mr. John Grant of Ivilgraston hunted 

 Perthshire occasionally from Sir David MoncriefFs 

 kennels,near Bridge of Earn, and then sold his hounds 

 to Sir Watkin. Then Captain Thomson kept hounds 

 for one season at Charleton. He had the Donnington 

 dog pack, which he purchased from Mr. John Story 

 and Mr. Seymour Blane. Will Skene, one of Walker's 

 disciples, was head man, and Charles Pike from the 

 Devon whipped in. They were very short of foxes, 

 and the hounds run roe-deer like fury. Many of them 



