HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



his mare Constance stopped with him on Dechmont 

 hill, where, in spite of all his efforts to save her, 

 she died a few hours afterwards. But it was a fine 

 hunt for all that, and although hounds and hunts- 

 man had again been defeated, there was consolation 

 if not actual joy in the thought that the golden 

 fox lived to run another day. 



Turning from the sport to one or two other 

 matters deserving of mention — the terms upon 

 which Captain Cheape had continued in office this 

 season (1889) differed somewhat from those orig- 

 inally arranged. Instead of receiving all sub- 

 scriptions, and defraying all expenses as before, 

 it was agreed that a sum of £1000 should be 

 paid over to him towards meeting the cost of 

 maintaining the establishment, and that any 

 surplus over that sum should be handed to a 

 special committee, to be administered in defray- 

 ing the expenses connected with coverts and in 

 settling claims for damage.^ This committee, 

 which was guaranteed a sum of £300 by Lord 

 Hopetoun and several other subscribers, consisted, 

 as originally formed, of Mr G. F. Melville, Mr 

 Blackwood, Mr Drybrough, Mr A. Dudgeon, 

 Easter Dalmeny ; Mr G. B. Glendinning, Hatton 

 Mains; Mr Lesslie, Boghall ; Mr A. Beid, The 

 Haining; Mr B. Stark, New Farm; Mr Usher, 

 and Mr George Younger ; ^ and although contri- 

 butions came in readily enough, the fund was 

 materially increased through the help of Mr C. T. 



^ Minute-book, vol, ii. p. 35. - Ibid., p. 40. 



284 



