AND STIKLINGSHIRE HUNT 



verses the title of " The Blank Day at Drumshore- 

 lane." In after years, during the reign of Mr 

 W. R. Ramsay, when the young wood planted in 

 place of the old had grown, it produced foxes which 

 could travel, and the covert accordingly regained 

 much, if not all, of its former high reputation. At 

 the present day Drumshoreland is a great wood 

 once more, and although it is seldom drawn in vain, 

 it is now almost impossible, in consequence of its 

 surroundings and bad scenting properties, for hounds 

 to force foxes from it as they did in the past. 



THE BLANK DAY AT DKUMSHORELANE. 



1827. 



At what once was Drumshorelane, by teu o' the clocks, 

 I met the old Lithgows a-searching a fox ; 

 But there disappointment " was all that we found," 

 Not a tod could we view from that once famous ground. 



Hark away ! hark away ! 



Each dog has his day ; 



The Lithgowshire Fox-hounds 



For ever, I say ! 



Not a few were the murmurs, as I understood, 

 'Gainst the axe that had levelled this once famous wood : 

 Which foe to the sport, sans remorse, did efface, 

 To tods ^ such a covert, the county such grace. 

 Hark away ! &c. 



The field was select, but the scarlets were few ; 

 At their head rode bold Norman,^ the trusty and true ; 

 "Drumshorelane has failed us," he cried, "but, by G-d, 

 " The cover of Houstoun shall give us a tod." 

 Hark away ! &c. 



^ Tod, Scotch for fox. ' Major Norman Shairp, yr. of Houstoun. 



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