AND STmLINGSHIRE HUNT 



entitled " The Opening of the Line," ^ began to hunt 

 a year or two later. For Mid -Lothian, among 

 others, there stood forth Sir Alexander Maitland of 

 Cliftonhall, who, although hunting less frequently 

 than formerly, still went well, and was at this 

 time the largest subscriber ; Mr Peter M'Lagan 

 of Pumpherston, M.P. for Linlithgowshire, whose 

 coverts seldom failed to hold a fox ; and Mr James 

 Cochrane, younger of Bradshaw, who early in life 

 had the misfortune to lose one of his arms, but 

 who nevertheless broke hunters for his father as 

 well as for himself From Edinburgh there came 

 many good sportsmen who worked hard, one way or 

 another, in the interests of the Hunt, who loosened 

 the strings of their purses in the good cause, and 

 who, since their headquarters were in town, fre- 

 quently travelled considerable distances by road 

 both before and after hunting. Among such were 

 Mr T. E. O. Home, afterwards honorary secretary 

 and treasurer, devoted to many kinds of sport, 

 but above all to fox-hunting ; Mr William Black- 

 wood, a hard man to hounds, and, in spite of falls 

 and accidents, always undaunted, whose hunters 

 were well turned out for him by his old groom, 

 Tom Tait ; Mr Thomas Dryborough, whose hands 

 were of the best, and to whose zeal and energy 

 the Hunt owed much, both at this time and in 

 later years; Mr James Turnbull, — father of the 

 present Lady Usher, — a good sportsman and 

 horseman, also gifted as to hands ; Mr Charles 



1 " The Opening of the Line," by Ponsonby-Cox, 1886. 



195 



