A MORNING'S CUBBING 39 



and saw hounds crossing to the right front towards 

 Billy, who was riding cunning on the off-side, and 

 who now seemed likely to cut in. On looking round 

 again, I saw the grey mare loose, floundering in 

 soft ground, with her rider on his hands and knees, 

 with a crumpled hat. He got up and ran helplessly 

 after her as she gained sounder ground, and made 

 for a corner in a cross-wire fence. To my horror 

 she rose deliberately at it, and though ringing the 

 top wire hard all round, she got over it and cantered 

 off in a direction opposite to that in which the pack 

 were vanishing. 



Luckily I hit upon a gate, and then having little else 

 as a guide than the terriers showing now and again like 

 white specks on the heather, and sheep occasionally 

 bunched together on the hillsides, I held on my way. 

 I was making for a deep glen or linn in the heart of 

 the hills, which ran at right angles to the line of the 

 chase, for, knowing it to have at least two strong 

 breeding earths besides numerous kennels and lying 

 places on the rocky ledges and loose stones on both 

 sides of the stream, I fully expected to find hounds 

 here. Half-an-hour of bad going, during which there 

 was no indication of them except the overtaking of 

 two very tired and blown puppies, whose delight to 

 see me was touching, brought me within hail of a 

 shepherd. He shouted back in a high-pitched key 

 that he had ^' seen hoonds rinnin' like mad oot by 

 ayont the bunemaist scaur in the fore day." In 

 the next half-mile occurred not the least catastrophe 

 of the day, for in scrambling over a gap in the stone 

 wall ^' Old Safety " cut herself badly. After washing 

 and binding it up, the wound continued to bleed 



