254 NIM ROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



got at, and two or three more of the pack were induced to join 

 cry with them. Just, however, as Mr. Dalyell had got all but 

 these few rioters at his horse's heels, outside the cover, and 

 Skinner was on the point of stopping them, holloas were given 

 by two of the field who were standing close to my side at the 

 moment, but at some distance from Mr. Dalyell, the consequence 

 of which was every hound dashing into the cover again in a 

 second or t^vo. Those who have hunted with Mr. Dalyell, have 

 him this moment before their eyes ; those who have not, can 

 appreciate the effect on his, or on any other master of hounds' 

 temper, which an incident of this sort would produce. Galloping 

 up towards the spot where the culprits stood, the first question 

 he put was, "Who holloaed?" "It was not Nimrod? for the 

 credit of Nimrod I felt myself bound to say ; and that was all 

 that was said. The fact is, this was one of the numerous in- 

 stances I have witnessed, not only of men calling themselves 

 sportsmen, but of good sportsmen, which both these offenders 

 were, and much esteemed friends of Mr. Dalyell's, so frequently 

 not paying the smallest attention to what hounds are doing, 

 except when they are running over the open, at the rate of 

 twenty miles in the hour. As for myself, I had been for some 

 time " on thorns," for the vexation my friend was enduring at 

 this untoward event, the effect, as stated, of accident ; and I 

 must say, I was astonished at hearing the holloas given, when 

 the riot approached us nearer. However, on a subsequent 

 admission of the fact, all was right again. But it occasioned a 

 good hour's work to Mr. Dalyell and his men, to get the whole 

 pack out of cover again, after the cheering holloas by which they 

 had been encouraged to do wrong. I rode Jack Orville again 

 this day, one of the cleverest of Mr. Dalyell's stud, and often 

 ridden by his lady. This circumstance, added to the fact of 

 Walker, the Fife huntsman, being out, increased the mortification 

 experienced by a bad day's sport. 



After hunting, Sir Ralph Anstruther, Mr. Dalyell, Mr. Earle, 

 and myself, crossed the Tay, and went to Mount Melville to 

 dinner,- 



"So excellent a lodging nigh, 

 Who in his senses would pass by ?" 



and met the Fife on the morrow, at a favourite cover called 

 Scoonie-hill, where our Forfarshire ill-luck followed us. Our 

 very patience, indeed, was put to the test by the various disap- 

 pointments we endured. Frst, the morning was most propitious ; 

 secondly, Walker, on his best horse, appeared bent on mischief, 



