AND SimLINGSHIEE HUNT 



the policies at Binny. To the south of the park, 

 Cotesworth, on wheels and with his arm in a sling, 

 viewed the fox as he crossed the road and waved 

 the field onwards as hounds took the line over and 

 carried it by East Broadlaw towards Forkneuk close 

 to the village of Uphall. From that they turned 

 right-handed and, skirting The Law, ran on by 

 Burn brae and through the roundels at Craigbinning 

 pointing for the coverts at Bangour. Turning 

 again, however, they crossed the Bathgate road, 

 and racing over the old grass on Dechmont hill, 

 entered the strips below the mansion-house. This 

 was the furthest point touched, for hounds now 

 swung back, recrossed the Bathgate road, and 

 brushing through the Moss covert, ran up to 

 Drumcross where, at ten minutes past five, in 

 moonlight, they were whipped off the line.^ The 

 distance as the crow flies from Auldcathie to Dech- 

 mont is not much over five miles, but as hounds 

 ran it was probably little short of twelve, while as 

 the pace was very fast throughout, the field was 

 considerably tailed. Mr Blackwood, who was acting 

 as master in Captain Cheape's absence, and was 

 riding a son of his old mare Lady Emma, previously 

 mentioned, had a bad fall which prevented him 

 going on. Mr C. T. Menzies, Mr Hugh Mosman 

 and many others got no further than the Bath- 

 gate road where hounds first crossed it, and 

 Mr Robert Usher saw no more of the hunt after 



^ 'The Scotsman,' 31st January 1890, and 'Land and Water,' 20tli 

 February 1892. 



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