45 



couple of hounds coming back into the Craig with a fox, and 

 thinking it was the hunted one, did not get away with the 

 others; but when he got to his hounds, quickly cast them to 

 the left, back over the road, where they picked it up, and 

 hunted him down past Greenbank and Broom to the Rouken, 

 where he went to ground. I noticed some of the officers of 

 the 5th Fusiliers, at present quartered in Glasgow, out, who 

 went well. 



Saturday. — Met at Houston, always a favourite meet. 

 Found a brace of foxes in the Scarth, and, after ringing round 

 a bit, ran them into a drain. Found again at West Barlogan. 

 He went out at the top end, as straight as an arrow, to 

 Elphinstone, the hounds racing him, and only three or four 

 who had their eyes open being with them — the gallant 

 Master and Squires being " there." The fox never hung in 

 covert, but went out at the top side over the country road 

 and down to the left. Here they got on the line of a dis- 

 turbed outlying fox, and ran heel down to his kennel, but 

 Squires quickly lifted them, and cast over the road to the 

 right, where they picked up the line of the hunted fox, and 

 ran down to the Kilmalcolm Strips. He broke from here 

 within a hundred yards of the hounds, and went away south, 

 leaving Lawfield Gorse on the left, over the Knapps Muir 

 back to West Barlogan, on to Emnely, going through the 

 corner of the covert, went as straight as an arrow down to 

 Bortherwickfield, which he did not enter, but went over the 

 old steeple-chase course, all grass, up the hill through Olives 

 (better known as Spiers' Young Covert). Then, leaving 

 Drums to the right, went away for Barscube Hill, where they 

 fairly ran out of scent. This was a very severe day, and 

 although the latter part of the run was over a fine piece of 

 country, horses and men were so beaten, having been at it for 

 over two hours, that they were rolling about in all directions 

 at the finish. 



Saturday, 18 (Bishopton). — Found at once in the Ferry 

 Wood. The fox broke away through Drums and right over 

 Barscube Hill, where, a thick mist coming on, only those who 



