254 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



feelings. The love of admiration may be a weakness, but it is a weak- 

 ness insepaiable from our nature, and any thing but unfavourable to our 

 future exertions to attain it. In short, logically speaking, the desire of 

 praise is nothing less than a motive to do that which we think may de- 

 serve praise. 



Now if I may use such an expression, Walker's good name appears 

 to be " potted" in Fife. He is not only one of the most civil, unas- 

 suming men in his station in life that I ever came across, but taking into 

 consideration the few years experience he has had in that station, he has 

 shown himself to have been almost miraculously gifted. In the " obser- 

 vations" Lord Kintore sent to Crane for his perusal, he said, " a hunts- 

 man's talent (like the poet's) must be born with him." The happy asso- 

 ciation then is self-apparent in Walker, and when that talent becomes to 

 be still more improved by experience, and still more chastened by judg- 

 ment, I do not hesitate in giving it as my opinion that he will make as 

 perfect a huntsman as ever holloaed to a hound. He has every qualification 

 for his art. He has the eye of a hawk; the quickness of a Shaw, with- 

 out his rashness ; the judgment of an old man, although a young one, 

 for he is in the prime of his years ; and when I say he has the zeal and 

 enthusiasm of a Kintore, 1 think I have said enough. " Go to the ant, 

 thou sluggard," sums up the moral of rather a long fable. 



As a horseman, Walker is also pre-eminent, although now and then a 

 little regardless of, or, perhaps, I should say, a little too severe on, his 

 horses. But he will be " with 'em," if there is any go left in his nag ; 

 and hence he derives a great advantage over his fox, which I have reason 

 to believe seldom escapes him with a fair scent, and provided he will 

 stay above ground. But the numerous open drains in Fife and Forfar 



