Past and Present. 25 



Away to the right the whole pack went in 

 full cry, and we after them, as well as we could ; 

 and I should say here that we had left our steeds 

 many miles behind. I, being in pretty good 

 fettle, and knowing the country — also being 

 fortunate in hitting off a good line — after running 

 several miles, met the hounds coming quietly 

 towards me. I noticed them rolling, a sure sign 

 they had killed, and by rubbing the muzzles of 

 one or two leading hounds, I at once found that 

 this was the case. I sat down, and when two or 

 three of the nearest footmen came up I told them 

 the hounds had killed near Oxnip Gill, and the 

 first that got to the spot should have the brush, 

 and a rare merry scamper there was for it. 



There was also another circumstance I well 

 remember ; on Squire Tomlinson coming up and 

 enquiring if they had killed, and on my answering 

 in the affirmative, he said, " Eh ! I am glad, just 

 for the sake of what the two women said." 



Time from nnkennelling to the time I met the 

 hounds was nearly five hours ; but four-and-a 

 half hours was most painfully slow. 



