AND STIRLINGSHIRE HUNT 



many good runs are chronicled subsequent to the 

 date of Stracey's promotion. In his second season, 

 on the 5th of December 1861, the small field which 

 met hounds at Kinneil enjoyed a run of one hour 

 and forty minutes, interrupted only by two trifiing 

 checks. A quick find formed the prelude to a 

 fast burst from Kinneil wood to Tod's mill, from 

 which, after crossing the Avon, hounds carried 

 the line to the Haining. Leaving that covert 

 behind them, they swam the Union canal, and 

 passing through the grounds of Parkhall, reached 

 Polmont station, where a short check occurred — 

 the time up to this point being thirty-five minutes. 

 When the line was recovered, they swung left- 

 handed, and skirting Maddiston, ran on by Muir- 

 avonside to Woodcockdale cottage, close to which 

 they recrossed the Avon. Thence they continued 

 by Belsyde, Williamscraig, and Cockleroi to Hill- 

 house quarries, from which they turned in the 

 direction first of Beecraigs, and then of Champ- 

 fleurie. Pressing their fox, however, and forcing 

 him from his point, they ran him almost into the 

 town of Linlithgow, where, " getting no shelter 

 even in the Poorhouse," and failing in his leap 

 at a low wall, he was caught and broken up in 

 the grounds of Mr Adie's house above Linlithgow 

 railway station.^ In the following season, on the 

 2nd of December (1862), hounds met at Drum- 

 shoreland. Finding at once on being thrown into 



^ Newspaper cutting in scrap-book which belonged to the late 

 Colonel Gillon, in the possession of ]\Ir Andrew Gillon, Edinburgh. 



173 



