264 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



Then again : " Barclay ploughing away, and the promising 

 young one (Dingwall) riding also to the hounds." I confess I 

 was surprised at the pace the Captain's horse (a grey of very fine 

 form, and an old favourite) carried him the burst, as it was first- 

 rate, and many large fallows crossed, which are no jokes with 

 such a weight as his. He was absolutely at one time fairly run- 

 ning away with him. But what will not blood and bone and the 

 grooming of old William Cross achieve ! I again rode the 

 Duchess. We had a party at dinner in the evening at Cask, and 

 " passed a jovial night" the Captain in great force, giving us, in 

 the very best style, his old friend Tom Marson's song of, 



" I ride as good a galloway, as any man in town ; 

 He'll trot you sixteen miles an hour, I'll bet you half a crown ; 

 He's sich a one to bend the knee, and tuck his haunches in ; 

 And to throw the dirt into ycur face, he never deems a sin." 



Monday, i6th. Met at Boynd's Mill. Drew Anchabar cover 

 Blank. Found in Tullow, and went away beautifully, but he 

 turned short into Bog Side cover, a very large one, without rides, 

 but with plenty of deer. Our huntsman finding he was not gone 

 on, wisely left him, being aware of the allurement of the haunch, 

 which is as grateful to a fox-hound, as to an alderman. We 

 found again in Fortrie Gorse, and hereon hangs a tale. Lord 

 Kintore, wishing the fox to take a certain line, over a very fine 

 country, ordered Philip to try and head him, but that was no go. 

 " Forward," he went, where he listed, and made his point for 

 Logg Hill cover, where, after a prodigiously sharp burst, a 

 trifling check occurred. We, however, soon saw him break 

 again, with about five couples of hounds on the scent, and here 

 I saw our huntsman do, what it would be well for fox-hunting if 

 ft were oftener done than it is. " Get to their head, Nimrod, 

 and stop 'em," cried Lord Kintore blowing his horn back at 

 the time, whilst he sent Joe to bring on the tail, who were still 

 in the cover " lefs have the body of hounds, or none." And 

 hence the glorious sequel ! We all succeeded in what we at- 

 tempted ; and a most brilliant half-hour forty-one minutes in 

 all with blood at the end, was the result. The finish was in- 

 describably fine. The pack, in a body, ran into him on the 

 banks of the Doveran river, just as he was on the point of 

 crossing it, and I had the pleasure of being within twenty yards 

 of him when he died, having been capitally carried by a mare 

 Lord Kintore calls " Walker's mare" so called because purchased 

 from the trump of th^kt name, who hunts the Fife hounds. The 



