67 



LANARKSHIEE AND RENFREWSHIRE 

 FOX-HOUNDS. 



' ' Rouse, boys ! rouse, 'tis a fine hunting morning ; 

 Rouse! prytliee, rouse, let us on to the chase; 

 Let not the time fiy whilst you're adorning, 

 But onwards to covert fly at a brisk pace." 



I did not expect to have the pleasure so soon of again 

 giving an account of the doings of this pack; but it never 

 rains but it pours, and really runs are now coming fast and 

 furious, to make up for lost time, 



Saturday, 18th (HowwoodToll). — Found at once in the Skiff 

 Wood. After ringing once or twice round the covert, the fox 

 broke at the east end above the rocks pointing to Loch Libo, 

 but bent away rather to the right round to South Castle 

 Walls, and straight on to Overtoun, as if his point was now 

 Caldwell. Being headed here, he turned sharp back by 

 Springside, and down over the road to the Bleachfield. 

 Going round Easterhill, he then went to the left towards the 

 Brimmer, and was run into in the open above Belltrees. Time, 

 thirty-five minutes, without a check. This was a very fine run 

 for hounds, but some nasty boggy places at starting prevented 

 most of the field from getting well away with them. Just as 

 the hounds went away, whilst the riders were going through 

 a gate at a farm-yard, a person rushed out and tried to stop 

 them, and even went the length of catching the reins of an 

 old and respected member of the Hunt; however, a "doughty 

 champion," from the " middle of Renfrewshire," jumped off 

 his horse, and the obnoxious individual was soon disposed of, 

 the riders getting through. As the only field they went over 

 was unsown plough, there could not possibly have been any 

 damage done. 



Found again in Bardrain young covert, and had a very 

 sharp burst on towards the Skiff, down through Johnstone 

 young covert, and back up the hill again, where, as it was 

 getting late, they whipped off. 



