1 86 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



day was far spent, and it was freezing very hard ; but although 

 no one was left with the hounds but myself and Major Wemyss 

 (not " the captain"), who was going to Mr. Dalyell's house, 

 nothing would satisfy the master of the pack short of finding 

 another fox. " We will draw the schoolmaster's cover," said he 

 to me ; " it is just in our road, and the best cover in the country.'' 

 I begged him not to do so, for the fallows were as hard as flint, 

 and it was nearly three o'clock. Add to this, I was on one of 

 King's rips, that I had ridden from Dundee in the morning, for 

 the boy who brought a horse of Mr. DalyelPs to cover for me, 

 had despaired of my appearance, and taken him home. I found, 

 however, I might as well have addressed myself to the winds ; 

 the hounds were thrown into the cover ; a fine fox crossed the 

 road almost under my horse's head, and, after twenty-one minutes 

 with such a scent as is very seldom witnessed \ he was run into in 

 a drain, and killed ! My horse having fallen twice before he had 

 gone a mile, I pulled up short, and saw nothing of the burst ; but 

 Mr. Dalyell, who was with them all the way, assured me he had 

 scarcely ever witnessed such a scent ; a fact worth noticing, as 

 it was freezing most INTENSELY at the time. 



On my arrival at Burnside, I was kindly welcomed by Mrs. 

 Dalyell, whose acquaintance I was delighted to make, not only as 

 the sister of Sir Ralph Anstruther, but also from having been 

 told that she was as fond of fox-hunting as her husband is, and 

 one of the best and boldest horsewomen in Scotland. Now as 

 there is nothing like producing proof, and making matters clear 

 as we proceed, I will at once substantiate what I have asserted 

 as to the enthusiasm of the husband, and the fine horsemanship 

 of the wife. " You have a good garden here, no doubt," said I 

 one day at dinner at Burnside, to the former when discussing the 

 merits of some very fine sea-kale. " / believe there ts" was the 

 reply ; " but to tell you the truth, I have never been in it. // is 

 too far from the kennel" Mark, reader, this " too far" is some- 

 where about one hundred yards ! But neither Millwood nor 

 Margery, Racer nor Roundelay, Gilder nor Gadfly, were to be 

 seen there, and anything appertaining to the cabbage genus 

 would have proved a poor substitute for them. The accomplish- 

 ments of the lady, " a second Minerva in her studies, another 

 Diana in the field 3 ' are told in a few words. During a visit I 

 paid to this sporting couple last winter, at their new residence in 

 Hertfordshire, I found she had so distinguished herself in a run, 

 which very few saw the end of, that the fame of her horse reached 

 the ears of the present Duke of Beaufort ; and his Grace having 

 ascertained his price, sent a servant with a cheque for 250 

 guineas for him on the day previously to my arrival. He is called 



