54 



I cannot understand why the earth here should not have been 

 stopped, as when the hounds meet at Bishopton, and draw 

 the coverts in the vicinity, a fox is generally forced to fly to 

 the high country. The rest of the day was spent in drawing 

 covert after covert blank. It was, however, a very raw, cold 

 day, with a good deal of snow in the high country, and " Mr. 

 Tod" may have been very sensibly underground. 



A good deal of amusement was caused the Monday follow- 

 ing by a man leading a fox by a string up and down past the 

 Western Club, a wag suggesting that no doubt he had heard 

 of the scarcity of that animal on the last day's hunting, and 

 had come to offer the fox to some prominent member of the 

 Hunt to ensure a find at their next meet. 



Tuesday, 14th (Bridge of Weir). — The moment the hounds 

 were thrown into the long covert (East Torr) a brace, if not a 

 leash, of foxes were on foot, thanks to that keen preserver of 

 foxes, Mr. Graham — 



" Hark the loud peal begins the clamorous joy, 

 The gallant chiding loads the trembling air. '' 



Somervilk. 



The fox went away east, leaving Bridge of Weir to the left, 

 and on over the Locher Water to what is known by hunting 

 men as M'Call's Covert; being headed here, he turned back 

 over a fine line of grass country with some thumping walls, and 

 was run to ground at Carruth. This was a very good twenty- 

 five minutes. Went back to East Torr, where a fox broke at 

 the east end, and went away over all those large grass fields on 

 to Auchincloich. Here he was coursed by a collie dog, turned 

 back to the hounds, and eventually run into the open, after a 

 good hunting run of forty minutes. Not content, Glentyan was 

 then drawn, from which they had a very smart spin of about 

 twenty minutes, and another kill in the open. Although this 

 was what may be called a " ringing day," still it was one of 

 the best they have had this season, as in all three runs they 

 had the hounds with them most of the time. 



Thursday, 16th (Castlemilk). — Found in the banks as 

 usual. The general line of a fox from this covert is the 



