HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



which had met in the morning was reduced to two 

 besides the master and Hunt servants.^ If Mr 

 Cross had not hunted the golden fox before the 

 13th of February 1892, he had the good fortune to 

 do so on that date, with no indifferent scent and 

 with an open country before him from Champ- 

 fleurie. But it was not in "the laurels," rendered 

 famous in consequence of the number of good runs 

 which had taken place from them in the past, and 

 the mention made of them by The Druid, that he 

 was found, for he waited not for that. Hounds got 

 his line near the shale works to the south of the 

 Linlithgow road, and at once beginning to race, 

 streamed away past Ochiltree, over the Oatridge 

 country with its double fences to Binny craig and 

 thence towards the Uphall road. Before reaching 

 it they turned short back by Binny to Hangingside 

 where, owing to more than one fresh fox having 

 crossed the line, they had to be handled before 

 they again settled down to run the one they had 

 been hunting which, with back up and brush 

 trailing, now led them by Waterstone and Lamp- 

 insdub to the familiar earths on the banks of 

 the canal at Three-mile-town. These being closed 

 against him, he was forced on by Mounthoolie and 

 Philpstoun moor to Whitequarries, at the west end 

 of Hopetoun big wood, and although hounds 

 divided at this point, they subsequently worked 

 out the line towards Winchburgh and from that 



1 'The Scotsman' 22nd December 1891 ; 'Land and Water,' 26th 

 December 1891. 



288 



