82 NIiMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



habitations surrounded by park walls, the hounds did not get away in a 

 body with our first fox, although the horsemen did ; but as it happened, 

 it mattered not, for after ten minutes at a very good pace, with about 

 eight couples of hounds at head, he went to ground in a drain from 

 which it was found impossible to bolt him. Unconscious of what was to 

 happen afterwards, I w-as much disappointed at this untoward start, as 

 the country we went over was excellent, consisting of large fields, flying 

 fences, and sound ground. I was also, as will appear presently, mounted 

 quite to my satisfaction. 



Between the heats, as we say on the race course, I had the honour of 

 being introduced to Sir John Pringle, whom I had previously noticed 

 in the crowd —but without knowing him — as being particularly well 

 turned out both by his valet and his groom ; mounted on an exceedingly 

 neat chestnut horse, and although not in pink, looking quite the sports- 

 man, as well as the gentleman. He did me the favour, and a valuable 

 one I considered it, of introducing me to his nephews Mr. George and 

 Mr. Robert Baillie of Mellerstain, of pure fox-hunting blood, but whom 

 I almost fancied I had previously been acquainted with, from the frequent 

 mention of their names and characters, as well as that of their father, 

 in the celebrated letters of Nim North. 



In about half an hour after we left the drain we found ourselves by 



c 



the side of a fine whin cover at East Gordon, the property of Mr. Baillie 

 of Mellerstain— a sure find —and in about ten minutes a fox was on 

 foot. I could plainly perceive there was " no time for dallying," as 

 old Johnson says of a man who talks of getting a wife at forty ; and that 

 if the " tod" was a good one, we must have a run, for they brushed 

 him through this very strong cover, at quite an awful pace. '^ This 



