INIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 97 



soon got upon terras with him again ; and, taking fresh ground, was well 

 hunted for about an hour, saving himself by getting into a drain. But 

 he had a very narrow squeak for his life, by an accident which I had 

 never before witnessed to a fox. He got entangled in a sheep-net in the 

 middle of a large field, which it is possible he never saw until he felt it. 

 Those sheep-nets are awkward things in a hunting country. In the 

 course of the Broom-dykes run with Lord Elcho I was all but caught in 

 one myself, it being placed so near to the headland that Keepsake with 

 difficulty collected himself so as to avoid it, after having leaped into the 

 field. It appeared to me to be quite strong enough to have turned him 

 over on his back. 



It was the small pack this day, which did their work well, though, for 

 want of a holding scent, the pace was not good throughout. This, how- 

 ever, enabled me to scramble after them about three parts of the way, 

 when, wishing to avoid being smothered, and seeing Mr. Cosser on his 

 best horse take to the turnpike road, I gladly followed his example, and 

 was, with himself, lost — the hounds turning from us every yard they 

 went. But I lost something else this day, which did not present itself 

 to me again during my visit to Scotland. This was, an opportunity of 

 seeing how a Scotch yeoman lived. As Mr. Cosser and myself were 

 endeavouring to fall in with the hounds again, we were joined by a 

 wealthy farmer who lived hard by, and when we had given up the pur- 

 suit I was thus addressed by him :— '* Mr. Cosser is coming to my house 

 to take some dinner with me ; and it will be on the table in half an hour. 

 Will you do me the favour to accompany him ?" All I had to do, was 

 to acknowledge, with thanks, the proffered kindness, and to ride on, as 



I was engaged ; but there is no class of persons in whose habits, pursuits, 



o 



