SOME BY-DAYS ti^ 



after brush and mask were removed, hounds took 

 a long time to break him up. Though only five 

 miles from point of finding to point of killing, this 

 was a very fast and hard gallop for horses ; only 

 Tom Telfer and I were in it ; and the features of it 

 were the pace and line, this last being right across 

 the usual country at right angles to the valleys, 

 right across the Rule, right across the Black Burn, 

 and right across the Jed, never swerving or turning 

 up or down the watercourses. 



Another day snatched out of the frost's fingers 

 was Monday, 9th December. We had been stopped 

 on the Saturday. Sunday was soft, a little frost on 

 Sunday night, but all gone by mid-day on Monday, 

 when I sallied up the water blowing the horn as 

 I went. This only produced two followers, Miss 

 Douglas and Frank Turnbull. We found a fox in 

 Birkenside, and hounds drove out at the west end ; 

 and when we got to Dolphinston we heard and saw 

 them racing beyond Earlsheugh towards the Belling. 

 For forty minutes they hustled him round by Wood- 

 house, Belling, and Old Jeddart in two big figures 

 of eight, and then killed him in the garden of the 

 latter place. On my coming up I found two couple 

 of hounds only had got in before the gate was 

 shut, and the rest were clamouring and springing 

 at the high fence. As I came in sight I saw an 

 excited farm youth seize the fox, whip out his knife, 

 and with his left hand whack off the brush, bone 

 and all, and flourishing it above his head he yelled 

 like one demented ; then, horrible to relate, the fox 

 at his feet gave a last expiring gasp. 



After the worthy farmer had refreshed us, and as we 



