NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 305 



T must here mention another curious anecdote of a hound in this pack, 

 which will be interesting to masters of packs. It is of a five-year, 

 hunter, called Hymen, who not being able to run up, but a favorite, 

 was given away to a person in Turriff, having his liberty to go where he 

 liked. Hearing his old companions running very hard one day, near to 

 his quarters, he contrived to nick in upon them, and was observed to get 

 to the head. Moreover, he came home to kennel with them that even- 

 ing, and, returning to regular work, was again able to run up, which I 

 was myself a witness to. We may conclude that, to a month's rest, 

 with unrestrained liberty of action, was this hound indebted for a reno- 

 vation of his bodily powers. I have heard it stated, but my experience 

 fails me here, that what are called trencher hounds, i. e. hounds which 

 are never kennelled, very rarely become lame from the mere conse- 

 quences of work, accidents excepted. But why should not hounds, as 

 well as human beings, be occasionally subject to temporary bodily infirm- 

 ities, which yield to a change of habits of life and diet, such as this 

 hound was subjected to ? It is my opinion that many a debilitated con- 

 stitution in men might be renovated by four or five years of temperate 

 living, early hours, and rest. 



We had an addition to our dinner party this day of Colonel Gordon 

 of Park, an intimate friend of his lordship, and I conclude the repre- 

 sentative of a gentleman of that name and place mentioned by Dr. 

 Johnson, as having been on a visit to the Earl of Errol, at the period of 

 his visiting him. His name was familiar to me by having a short time 

 previously read in the papers of an extraordinary leap taken in his 

 grounds, by Lord Kintore's whipper-in, Jack Wilson, with the very mare 

 that his lordship mounted me upon on my descent from the Banff coach 

 box. But in reference to his name I have another observation to make. 



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