HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



Cairnpapple to Bishopbrae, before they were brought 

 to a check. Recovering the line almost at once, 

 they carried it through Cathlaw, over the Torphichen 

 hills, past the old church — in early times the pre- 

 ceptory of the Knights of St John — and down to 

 Wallhouse policies, where the fox was viewed 

 almost dead-beat. Nevertheless, he struggled on 

 as far as the banks of the Avon, but his strength 

 failed him as he went, and he was pulled down in 

 the open outside the Desert and close to the bridge 

 across the river. Who-whoop ! and all was over ; 

 although when set upon his legs by Mr Cross he 

 seemed to laugh at hounds as they bayed around 

 him, just as he may be supposed to have done 

 on previous occasions, when the victory had been 

 on his side. His brush was presented to Miss 

 Aitken, now Mrs C. T. Menzies, who, as usual, 

 rode well all through the run, and his mask to 

 Mr Stark by whom he was holloaed away from 

 Longmuir. 



One other instance of the sport which took place 

 during Mr Cross's mastership may be given. A 

 stormy morning saw hounds at Alderstone on the 

 14th of March in the same year (1893), and it 

 seemed as if a scent were impossible. But that was 

 not wanting when, in the afternoon, Dechmont moss 

 came to be drawn, and the Wallhouse fox which 

 that covert held set his mask for home. When 

 hounds went away there was no time to lose, for 

 they were soon racing, heads up and sterns down, 

 over " the galloping pastures of green Dechmont 



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