86 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



his life, witli the hounds close at his brush, this capital fox got upon the 

 roof of one of the low buildings of Rochester-house ; from that to the 

 roof of the house itself, and then fell, exhausted, into the mouth of the 

 hounds, at the end of exactly fifty-five minutes, at the very best pace, 

 and with only one trifling check. 



The reporter to the Kelso Mail of this fine run, stated, that " no* 

 more than half a dozen sportsmen, out of a large field, were in at the 

 death," but he is a little under the mark here. Lord Archibald Sey- 

 mour and myself counted sixteen horsemen in all, but some of them had 

 the appearance, from their horses and their trousers^ of having "joined 

 cry" on the road. Of those known to ourselves were the following : — 

 Sir David Baird, Mr. George Baillie of Mellerstain, Mr. Todd, (his 

 cousin,) Williamson, and the first whipper-in, Frank Collison, and the 

 duke's head groom. Lord Eglinton was with them till about the last 

 half dozen fields, when, having cut his horse's leg at a wall, he pulled 

 up ; and that fine horseman, Mr. Robert Baillie, was absent from a 

 similar cause. The absence of Mr. Campbell, of Saddell, may be 

 accounted for in a few words. Sixteen stone over such a country, and 

 at such a pace, was too much even for " Elcho Castle," and I believe 

 Scotland owns not many better nags, or many better men on their backs 

 than his owner is. 



I must now account for myself being one of the few out of the many 

 who saw the finish of this fine day's sport ; and hereon hangs a tale. 

 Lord Elcho with his usual kindness told me he would get me a mount 

 for the duke's day, and that a horse would meet me at cover. By a 

 mistake about a letter, however, no horse came, and I was making my- 

 self as comfortable as such trying circumstances woukl admit of, when a 

 boy rode up to mc, on a horse in splendid condition, as well as looking 



