AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



and perseverance, across the open fields lying be- 

 tween Drumshoreland and the Almond. Never- 

 theless they checked and checked again, and 

 Rintoul had to cast them more than once before 

 they finally hit off the line across the Uphall and 

 Midcalder road, and settled down to run north- 

 wards over the grass to Houstoun wood. Thence, 

 with an improving scent, they ran up to the Edin- 

 burgh and Glasgow turnpike road, and crossing 

 it near Dechmont, went on over West Binny, 

 pointing for Riccarton. They were now able to 

 press their fox, and the pace, which had been so 

 slow at first, became such that the few who had 

 the good fortune to see this run had to do all 

 in their power to live within sight of the pack, 

 which, swinging left-handed, drove forward across 

 the high grounds of Bangour and, again bearing 

 northwards, sped over the old rough grass by 

 Tartraven and Wairdlaw into B'ormie. The scent 

 had become breast-high, and silently as hounds 

 had probably run in the open for the last mile 

 or two, the crash with which they entered that 

 covert, and the way in which the rocky head of 

 Cockleroi must have seemed to rattle and shake 

 as it re-echoed the crash, can be better imagined 

 than described. But in B'ormie they dwelt not 

 a moment, and taking the line right through it, 

 away they went to Bowdenhill, the open earths 

 on the northern face of which received the fox, 

 now no doubt arched in back, drooping as to 

 brush, and much bedraggled, just in front of 



161 L 



