NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 191 



upon his back with his heels capering in the air. As for myself, I escaped 

 pretty well, my only alarm being- for the fate of my horse, it being at one 

 time doubtful whether he would be able to struggle out of his difficulties ; 

 but Frank was not so fortunate. His young thorough-bred one rolled 

 over him once, and then knocked him down with his head, making so 

 complete a pie-ball of his exterior as to have an irresistibly ludicrous 

 effect. This, added to the coolness with which this fine old sportsman 

 endured all the buffetting and besmearing he received from the impetuo- 

 sity of his nag, (for he kept up a sort of conversation with him all the 

 time, such as "What are you about man? you are in a devil of a hurry 

 this morning,") so provoked my risible faculties that when I got upon 

 sound ground, nearly a minute elapsed ere I could mount my horse. 

 Frank, however, was in his saddle in the twinkhng of an eye, and putting 

 the young one at a wall— rather a queerish place by the bye, in a corner 

 — soon pilotted me to the hounds, which we got up to just in time to 

 witness the destruction to our sport, by the coursing of our fox by the 

 *' coalie," as a sheep-dog is called in Scotland. Neither did w^e gain 

 much by the straight cut we bad taken through the turbary, for a few 

 of those who had gone round to avoid this bog got to the hounds rather 

 before we did, thus verifying the adage, that the farthest way about is 

 often the nearest way home. This run lasted forty-five minutes, but 

 there was nothing like pace after the first ten minutes. This was a very 

 great disappointment to me, for had the fox not been coursed by the dog 

 but taken over the fine country that was before him, there would have 

 been a fine display of horsemanship as all the best men in the country 

 were in the field. We found a second fox, but he was so hard pressed 

 by the pack, who appeared to have a burning scent, that he had not 

 courage to break cover until he was so blown that he crept into the first 

 little drain he could find— a conduit across a road— from whence he was 



