NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 265 



The first approach to a strange pack naturally calls forth a remark. 

 That of Mr. Dalyell, at this time, is described in a few words — in the 

 words indeed of Jack Skinner himself. ** We keep no cats that don't 

 kill mice," said he to me, as I rode around them to look them over ; 

 " cur's is not a show pack ; but if we can find a good fox, T think they 

 will give a good account of him." (The strength of the kennel at this 

 time consisted of twenty-three couples of old and ten couples of youn^ 

 hounds.) But alas no fox was to be found, although we drew till past 

 three o'clock, a circumstance I much regretted. In the first place I 

 regretted it on Mr. Dalyell's account, in the second, we were in a very 

 pretty country for sport, the day was a favorable one, and I was on as 

 clever a little nag as I ever mounted or saw. I call him " little" 

 because he is near the ground and on very short legs, and therefore 

 named Deception ; but he is more than equal to my weight. He was 

 then in his nineteenth year, and quite fresh on his legs and feet, which 

 circumstance I mention for the sake of drawing the attention of sports- 

 men to one or two points well deserving of it, in reference to the pur- 

 chase of hunters. The legs and feet of this horse appeared quite equal 

 to a body half as big again as his own ; and his fetlocks — those most 

 essential points in a hunter — are as strong as those of an ox. 



There is luckily for all mortals a balm for most wounds ; and cha- 

 grined as we were at this most unexpected blank, it was not long ere it 

 was administered to us. We recrossed the Tay ; replaced ourselves in 

 Sir Ralph's carriage ; and at the end of a two hours' drive, found ourselves 

 at Mount Melville, where the friends we had left behind us at Balcaskie 

 were ready to receive us. Of our morning's diversion we of course 

 *' sung small ;" but although we could not find a fox in the numerous 

 good covers we had drawn, we found in the dining-room and drawing- 



2 M 



