AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



viously occupied.^ It was then that old Bedford, 

 who was wont to contend with Rivers ^ for the 

 honour of carrying home the fox's head, had a 

 great day on his own account, notwithstanding 

 the fact that his hunting career was drawing to 

 an end. " One day, at Kincaldrum, a covert of 

 Heaven knows how many hundred acres, they 

 found a fox ; but, as of course he did not break 

 too soon, Scott's ear discovered that old Bed- 

 ford was well tied to another ; so leaving his 

 brother veteran to his own devices, he pressed 

 the pack's fox out, and got away. At night, 

 old Bedford was missing, and no tidings, until 

 going into the same country a few days after, 

 a farmer came up and said ' You have a red 

 and white hound worth his weight in gold ; he 

 forced that fox out of Kincaldrum after you 

 left ; was seen by many running him ten miles 

 over the country, and killed him just by my 

 place. I did all I could to get him but he 

 went off.' Scott went away sorrowing. Old Bed- 

 ford got on the road home, and made it out as 

 far as Perth, when he was picked up and sent 

 to the Kilgraston kennels, where Scott, visiting 

 Hall, found him to his no small delight. Bed- 

 ford is nine years old and almost blind ; were he 

 mine — I speak it under favour — he should not 

 only live all his days until the stern huntsman 



' Lettei'from Colonel Qreenhill Gardyne to the author, dated October 

 3, 1904. 

 2 Rivers (1830) by the Warwickshire Rocket (1824)— Violet. 



145 K 



