56 N1MROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



out of a large field, were in at the death." From the Kelso- 

 Mail* 



Now then for my own version of this fine day's sport. As is- 

 often the case with aristocratic foxes that must dine upon game 

 and have their habitations surrounded by park walls, the hounds 

 did not get away in a body with our first fox, although the horse- 

 men did ; but as it happened, it mattered not, for after ten 

 minutes at a very good pace, with about eight couples of 

 hounds at head, he went to ground in a drain from which it was 

 impossible to bolt him. Unconscious of what was to happen, 

 afterwards, I was much disappointed at this untoward start, as- 

 the country we went over was excellent, consisting of large fields, 

 flying fences, and sound ground. I was also, as will appear 

 presently, mounted quite to my satisfaction. 



Between the heats, as we say on the race course, I had the 

 honour of being introduced to Sir John Pringle, whom I had 

 previously noticed in the crowd but without knowing him as 

 being particularly well turned out both by his valet and his groom;, 

 mounted on an exceedingly neat chestnut horse, and although 

 not in pink, looking quite the sportsman, as well as the gentle- 

 man. He did me the favour, and a valuable one I considered 

 it, of introducing me to his nephews Mr. George and Mr. Robert 

 Baillie, of Mellerstain, of pure fox-hunting blood, but whom I 

 almost fancied I had previously been acquainted with, from the 

 frequent mention of their names and characters, as well as that 

 of their father, in the celebrated letters of Nim North. 



In about half an hour after we left the drain we found our- 

 selves by the side of a fine whin cover at East Gordon, the pro- 

 perty of Mr. Baillie of Mellerstain a sure find and in about 

 ten minutes a fox was on foot. I could plainly perceive there 

 was " no time for dallying," as old Johnson says of a man who 

 talks of getting a wife at forty ; and that if the "tod" was a 

 good one, we must have a run, for they brushed him through 

 this very strong cover, at quite an awful pace. " This way," 

 said Williamson to me, as he put his horn to his mouth, and 

 gave them one blow, and I found the good-natured hint was to- 

 show me the pass through a deep morass, over which the 

 hounds were streaming away at the moment with a breast high 

 scent. Luckily for the field there were two of these passes, and 

 luckily for me I took the one towards which the pack were lean- 

 ing, which saved me some distressing ground. " We are in for 



* This excellent paper, published twice a week, and, as I was in- 

 formed, established nearly half a century, is fond of a bit of sport a 

 sort of Caledonian York Herald. 



