NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 269 



pack. This was death to the hopes of all the field, for the day was far 

 spent, and it was freezing very hard; but although no one was left with 

 the hounds but myself and Major Wemyss (not " the Captain"), who 

 was going to Mr. Dalyell's house, nothing would satisfy the master of 

 the pack short of finding another fox. *' We will draw the school- 

 master's cover," said he to me ; '* it is just in our road, and the best 

 cover in the country." I begged him not to do so, for the fallows were 

 as hard as flint, and it was nearly three o'clock. Add to this, I was on 

 one of King's rips, that I had ridden from Dundee in the morning, for 

 the boy w^ho brought a horse of Mr. Dalyell's to cover for me, had 

 despaired of my appearance, and taken him home. I found, however 

 I might as well have addressed myself to the winds; the hounds were 

 thrown into the cover; a fine fox crossed the road almost under my 

 horse's head, and, o/Ver twenty-one minutes with such a scent as is 

 very seldom witnessed, he was run into in a drain, and killed! My 

 horse having fallen twice before he had gone a mile, I pulled up short, 

 and saw nothing of the burst ; but Mr. Dalyell, who was with them all 

 the way, assured me he had scarcely ever witnessed such a scent; a fact 

 worth noticing, as it was freezing most intensely at the time. 



On my arrival at Burnside, I was kindly welcomed by Mrs. Dalyell, 

 whose acquaintance I was delighted to make, not only as the sister of 

 Sir Ralph Anstruther, but also from having been told that she was as 

 fond of fox-hunting as her husband is, and one of the best and boldest 

 horsewomen in Scotland. Now as there is nothing like producing proof, 

 and making matters clear as we proceed, I will at once substantiate what 

 I have asserted as to the enthusiasm of the husband, and the fine horse- 

 manship of the wife. " You have a good garden here, no doubt," said 



