122 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



his nearly constant presence at all other times. Matthew, or " Matty" 

 as he is called in Scotland, is in the prime of life — indeed appearing to 

 possess the rare gift of an old head upon young shoulders ; particularly 

 neat and clean, and servant-like in his person and demeanour, and a very 

 good horseman. 



Now a word or two for old Frank CoUison, of whom 1 have before 

 spoken, and to whom I was mainly indebted for seeing the finish of one 

 of the finest runs ever seen in Scotland. Frank was on the hunting 

 establishment of the late Duke of Buccleuch. He whipped-in to John 

 King for twenty years ; then was made huntsman for seven years, — 

 when Williamson became huntsman, — and is now hunting, what may 

 be called the same hounds (though they have changed masters back- 

 wards and forwards) his tioentieth season ! He has, I should imagine, 

 arrived at the period which is commonly called "the grand climacteric," 

 although there is nothing in his appearance denoting the usually accom- 

 panying decay of either body or mind ; and having already said that the 

 young horses in the present duke's stud are made into hunters by Frank, 

 it is almost a waste of words to throw away one about his nerves. As 

 far as I could judge of them, however, and I saw him in some awkward 

 situations — they appeared to resemble the braces of the war-drum, or the 

 cat-gut of a fiddle in high tune, and I doubt not but he is perfectly and 

 happily unconscious of there being such things in his carcass. His 

 dress is likewise worthy of remark, adhering to the old costume of 

 the Scottish huntsman — namely, a black velvet cap, a short red jacket, 

 known by the term spencer, and leather breeches quite as thick as 

 a bullock's hide. The tout ensemble, however, is that of the sports- 

 man of the old school, and Frank is a first rate horseman, with a fine 

 bridle hand. 



