Fox Hunting in Scotland 271 



noil's, we'r no feeling the need o' anither the noo." "Ah! man, 

 and would ye taste with me neighbour and no ha' a drap wi 

 me?" "Well noo, IMcFadden, we'r no hungert fa a taste our- 

 selves, but if it will be giving yourself an excuse, na doot we 

 ma accommodate ye." 



There was no dodging it, so in we go. Our host hastens 

 matters a bit by sapng, "But I will tell you fair, JSIcFadden, 

 the time we give to the tasting we must take from the coos." 

 When we had left jNlcFadden's our host turned to inquire. 

 "Did ye no remark the Walker brand on our friend's nose?" 

 "Is that from Walker's best?" I replied. "No," replied mine 

 host, "that is just the trouble. A little good Scotch is good, a 

 good deal of bad Scotch is hell, and a dinna ken but a'm think- 

 ing our friend McFadden is going somewhat in that direction." 



Once more we journey on, but the next stop on the pro- 

 gramme had to be omitted. 



Now for the meet. When we arrived there, hounds had 

 already gone, and we had a good excuse for skipping another 

 taste at the hunt breakfast, which Lord So-and-so had pro- 

 vided. Bess, however, went into the stable for her taste of corn. 

 We mounted our hunters, the groom waiting for Bess to do her 

 fourth taste for the morning before he started her for home. 



Our host and the writer were of course in the usual agony 

 that thrives on all late comers to the chase. We ride blindly 

 on, perhaps opposite to the way hounds are going or the near- 

 est point to reach them, galloping madly on for half a mile, 

 then halting to listen, and galloping as hard back again. 

 Presently, it comes on to rain and we seek shelter under the lee 

 of a hay stack and wait. How the minutes drag and our minds 

 hurry. We are glad it rains. It gives us an excuse to stop 

 tearing about on a wild goose chase. McDougal lights his 

 joipe and tells a story: how when he was a lad, he came to the 

 farmhouse where the hunt breakfast was held, to spend Sunday 

 with a school mate. They were out on the lawn after dinner 



