NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 175 



all the rest, as O'Kelly said, " no where," and Mr. Fletcher got a little 

 wide of the Hne, as I was told, towards the finish. Lord Frederick 

 Fitzclarence was at the very further extremity of the bog when the fox 

 broke, and although he made desperate efforts to get up, and passed me 

 at an awful pace, I despaired of his getting in front, unless a check 

 occurred, for two sufficient reasons. First — his weight — good sixteen 

 stone I should say ; secondly, there was no chance for a nick, as the 

 line was nearly straight. 



There was but one drawback to this splendid run, besides the fact of 

 its being too fast for the general enjoyment of the field, for it is but few 

 who can enjoy a run at such a pace as this — eleven miles in just forty 

 minutes ! But the draw-back ! Why the last view I had of the 

 hounds was, as they were ascending a steep bank, on which I was able 

 to distinguish the three chestnuts and the grey. There must be a ravine, 



thought I within myself; how shall I get across that, for my horse is dead 

 blown at present? We had then been going about twenty minutes. 

 " A river," exclaimed one of the field, who had dropped astern hke 

 myself. And he might have said more than this. We were on classic 

 ground, and he might have sung with the poet — 



" Meandering Till's impetuous flow- 

 Runs wildly in the vale below.*' 



It was the Till, if not the most rapid, the most treacherous river in all 

 Scotland — I believe I may also say in England, as we were at this time 

 in England — and in which Mr. Sitwell of Barmoor-castle, (author of 

 the Letters of Nim North,) so nearly lost his life. However, as the 

 hounds crossed it, of course the most of the field crossed it, and without 

 any disaster. But my attempt was an unfortunate one, by coming down 



