342 FIELD AND FERN. 



went back with the Captain to Atherstone, and they 

 turned out very well. 



" Lord Rosslyn established the present pack, and 

 managed it with Mr. Balfour of Balbirnie, Mr. Os- 

 wald, Mr. Peter Paterson, Mr. John Haig, and Mr. 

 Frederick Wedderburn, for six seasons; while Captain 

 Thomson was with the Atherstone, and in 1858 Cap- 

 tain Thomson took to them again, along with Lord 

 Rosslyn, for a season, and had his first day in Melville 

 "Woods. Lord Rosslyn joined Lord Derby's adminis- 

 tration, and went to the War Office the next season ; 

 and Captain Thomson carried them on up to the 

 spring of '64. He then went to the Pytcheley, and 

 under the next master, Col. Babington, the country 

 was hunted five days a fortnight, instead of three 

 days a week. At the close of last season Mr. Bal- 

 four of Balbirnie took them for two seasons, so that 

 we have had many changes of Ministry." 



The New Inn i at Fruchie Fife has been for 

 sixty years a favourite tryst for the Sederunt, and it 

 rose in 1850 to kennel dignity. Potts, Jack Grant, 

 and Oxtoby were all huntsmen there in turn, and 

 Captain Thomson put up Fred Turpin, who had 

 whipped in, and then hunted the hounds, in conse- 

 quence of Oxtoby's illness, the last season. Fred 

 completed his t fifth season with the Captain, and 

 then they parted, one to the Pytcheley and the other 

 to the Vale of White Horse. The Inn is only one 

 in name now, and "the iron horse" runs close past 

 it, and mocks the fate it created. It lies pretty 



