150 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



pack of hounds, unless he were a real enthusiast in the noble sport. 

 The following anecdote is very demonstrative of the exhilirating effect 

 of a fine run upon such a temperament as his — in short upon a real lover 

 of fox-hunting. " Faith," said one of his daughters to her little brother 

 one day, *' gin you want ony thing of your fether, noo is the time ; he's 

 just come home, vary much 'pleased with a that he lias done.'' But 

 when shall I stop if I indulge in a recapitulation of all the anecdotes I 

 have heard related of this extraordinary man. His zeal in the chase 

 has given birth to many. Coming once to a check in the great north 

 road, he found a horseman there in the midst of the pack. " What the 

 h — II brings you here ?" roared Williamson, taking him of course for 

 one of his field who had got a head of his hounds by some unfair nick ; 

 little thinking that he was addressing a commercial traveller on his journey 

 from London. But fancy a member of this useful fraternity got so far 

 on his road to the good town of Edinburgh ; having worked his way 



" Per varies casus ettot discrimina rerum/' 



through good report and evil report, bad debts and good ones, large 



orders and small ones, doing his utmost for his employers, and the?i to 



be asked by a huntsman, " What the h — II brought him there!'' To 



me the circumstance is irresistibly ridiculous, and I confess 1 should 



have greatly enjoyed the scene. Under similar circumstances he once 



came across an unfortunate horse-breaker, on a two year old colt, and 



mistaking him also for a M'Adamizing sport-spoiler, roared lustily out 



to him to '' sta-and still." Finding, however, he might as well have 



roared to the rocks, or to the waves, he as lustily called to him to turn 



his horse* ^" " Hoo shall I turn him ?" said the follow in reply, '' he's 



* It may be well to explain to some of your readers that, when hounds are quite 

 off the scent, they are apt to go in the direction they see horses going. Sportsmen, 

 therefore, turn their horses towards the likely point. 



