HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



drove straight ahead as if tied to the scent, and at 

 a tremendous pace, killing him on the Bathgate 

 hills above Wallhouse in forty-six minutes from 

 the find. Few of the field who saw the fox 

 found were able to last to the finish, but Mr 

 Ramsay, Major Shairp, and one or two others 

 distinguished themselves highly. The whole of 

 the line lay over grass, and had the fences not 

 been " moderate," the pace was so tremendous 

 that no horse could have got to the end.^ One 

 other run which took place during this season is 

 deserving of mention. It occurred on the 5 th of 

 February, when hounds met at West Binny. 

 There had been a hard frost in the morning, and 

 perhaps, in consequence, some delay in drawing ; 

 for it was not till after mid -day that a fox was 

 found in Riccarton (Longmuir) covert. In about 

 five minutes time hounds broke, taking the now 

 old and familiar line over grass, but through deep 

 and, in places, boggy ground to Bangour, from 

 which they ran to Binny plantation, i.e., Binny 

 cottage or Craigbinning, and thence, with scent 

 breast high, to Binny craig. From that they 

 continued by the Braes o' Mar to Champfleurie, 

 and after crossing the Union canal went on 

 towards Carriden. When near Walton farm, how- 

 ever, the fox, being headed by a boy with a 

 sheep-dog, turned as if for Kiuneil wood, but that 

 he was not destined to reach, and hounds pulled 

 him down near old Bonhard House at a quarter 



^ 'Sporting Magazine,' February 1834. 



126 



