NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 387 



at check, just in time to prevent Lord Kintore riding the third time at a 

 high stone-and-mortar wall, which Skim had wisely refused with him, the 

 ground being very awkward on both sides of it, and the hounds not abso- 

 lutely in chase at the time. But here I was obliged to pull up, and the 

 captain kindly accompanied me on my road to Turriff to the doctor, who 

 by the usual precautions of loss of blood, &c., prevented serious 

 consequences. But as related to my future operations in Scotland this 

 was a sad damper, forasmuch as there was little probability of my getting- 

 sound enough to ride to hounds again till it would be time for me to 

 return home ; neither was this the extent of the evil. The next day but 

 one, I was to have visited that kind-hearted gentleman, and most zealous 

 sportsman, Captain Peter Hay, of Mugdrum, who had invited the elite 

 of the Fife hunt to meet me. But what was to be done ? As I could 

 neither cough, sneeze, nor laugh, without suffering, it was useless to 

 have attempted making such a visit as this, at the distance of sixty miles 

 or more, so was obliged to forego the pleasure I should have experienced 

 in it. The disappointment to me was great ; and from the letter I 

 received from my intended host, I am authorised in saying, that it was 

 equally so to him. To make matters worse for all parties, a deep snow 

 fell the next night, and put an end to the thoughts of hunting for some 

 days to come. 



Being about to say '* good-bye" to Gask, I cannot refrain from speak- 

 ing of the kindness I received from Lord Kintore, during the time I was 

 confined to the house, from the consequences of the fall the Duchess 

 gave me. I can only say, had I been his brother, he could not have 

 done more. But have I no more good anecdotes touching this second 

 visit to Gask ? None, unless I describe a laughable scene between 

 Philip the whipper-in, the captain, and myself, on our road home 



3 D 2 



