HISTOEY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



the Desert, just outside which they had the satis- 

 faction of breaking up their fox after a chase of 

 fully two hours. ^ 



At Houstoun, on the 24th of February 1877, 

 Mr Hope carried the horn, for, a few days before, 

 Atkinson had met with a serious accident, break- 

 ing his collar-bone, three ribs, and a toe, through 

 his horse falling with him when galloping. Again 

 " the Wilderness" near Bellsquarry held a good fox, 

 and again a long run from it ensued, — the pack 

 and the master, in his capacity of huntsman, ac- 

 quitting themselves with much credit. Rattling 

 out of covert, hounds crossed the West Calder road 

 and ran by Brucefield to Blackmire, through Lime- 

 field to Dovitshill, and, after a short check, by 

 Parkhall, Muirhouse, Slateheugh, Birniehill, and 

 Hartwood, to Kiprig. Wheeling from that to 

 Mid Hartwood, they stretched away over the 

 moorland, through rain and mist, to Baadsmill, 

 and from that, across the Longhill burn to Whole- 

 stock, and from that again to Blaweary on the 

 borders of Lanarkshire. Then turning eastwards, 

 they repassed Baadsmill, and hunting steadily 

 over Hartwood Mains and by Torphin, entered 

 Harburn park, where, unromantically, in one of 

 the steadings, this staunch fox breathed his last.^ 

 Notwithstanding the good and at times even 

 brilliant sport which was being shown, contribu- 

 tions to the Hunt funds came in slowly, and at 



1 'Edinburgh Courant,' 13th February 1877. 



2 Ibid., 28th February 1877. 



242 



