268 NIMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 



up, put one hind foot on the crown of my hat, and the other on 

 my left breast. As may be supposed, this was what is called " a 

 floorer ;" for the mere weight of a horse's carcass on that of a 

 man is bad enough, but when added to the effort of rising from 

 the ground, as was the case here, it is almost more than could 

 be expected that I am alive to relate the fact. Neither shall I 

 forget the involuntary roar I gave during the pressure from the 

 foot, which seemed as if it was about to pass through my body. 

 However, on getting on my legs, and rinding I did not spit 

 blood, I mounted and got up to the hounds at check, just in time 

 to prevent Lord Kintore riding the third time at a high stone- 

 and-mortar wall, which Skim had wisely refused with him, the 

 ground being very awkward on both sides of it, and the hounds 

 not absolutely in chase at the time. But here I was obliged to 

 pull up, and the captain kindly accompanied me on my road to 

 Turriff to the doctor, who, by the usual precautions of loss of 

 blood, &c., prevented serious consequences. But as related to 

 my future operations in Scotland this was a sad damper, foras- 

 much as there was little probability of my getting sound enough 

 to ride to hounds again till it would be time for me to return 

 home ; neither was this the extent of the evil. The next day but 

 one, I was to have visited that kind-hearted gentleman and most 

 zealous sportsman, Captain Peter Hay, of Mugdrum, who had 

 invited the elite of the Fife hunt to meet me. But what was to 

 be done ? As I could neither cough, sneeze, nor laugh, without 

 suffering, it was useless to have attempted making such a visit 

 as this, at the distance of sixty miles or more, so was obliged to 

 forego the pleasure I should have experienced in it. The dis- 

 appointment to me was great ; and from the letter I received 

 from my intended host, I am authorized in saying, that it was 

 equally so to him. To make matters worse for all parties, a 

 deep snow fell the next night, and put an end to the thoughts of 

 hunting for some days to come. 



Being about to say " good-bye " to Cask, I cannot refrain from 

 speaking of the kindness I received from Lord Kintore, during 

 the time I was confined to the house, from the consequences of 

 the fall the Duchess gave me. I can only say, had I been his 

 brother, he could not have done more. But have I no more 



food anecdotes touching this second visit to Cask ? None, unless 

 describe a laughable scene between Philip the whipper-in, the 

 captain, and myself, on our road home together one day after 

 hunting. Far from a wish to bruise the broken reed, but to 

 restore it to its wonted vigour, the captain was relating the case 

 of a whipper-in that he knew a fac-simile of Philip, one of the 

 cleverest of the clever who lost an excellent place, under an excel- 



