The Duke of Bueeleueh's. 435 



— more than forty years ago — to Middleton Hall, two 

 miles south of Wooler, where they killed their fox 

 without a check. The hounds found in Hadden Eigg 

 old plantation and went off in a moment, running fast 

 eastward for two fields, and then turned sharp to the 

 south and never put nose to the ground again, the late 

 Sir David Baird riding as usual alongside of the pack 

 got half a field's start of everyone else and was never 

 caught till they reached Kirknewton Tors although he 

 was closely pressed by the huntsman Old Williamson, 

 the whip Hugh Burns, Lord John Scott (the Duke's 

 brother), young George Grey of Milfield Hill, Mr. 

 Spottiswood of Spottiswood, Mr. Todd of Drygrange, 

 &c., &c. Out of that gallant field, Mr. Grey is per- 

 haps the only survivor. 



On a Tuesday they go north of the Tweed, as far as 

 Greenlaw, West Gordon, Spottiswoode and Meller- 

 stain — a rougher country than the previous days. The 

 fences of this district are frequently faced on the one 

 side with stones, on the other with railings — making 

 it necessary for a horse to drop his hindlegs quick- 

 and-clever. Gorses and plantations constitute the 

 coverts of this neighbourhood : and the ground rises 

 a trifle deeper than elsewhere. 



Thursday is given to the new Northumberland 

 portion, south of the Tweed and west of the Till — 

 Wark Common (with a gorse of such size, that only a 

 third of it is maintained up to mark at one time, the 

 remainder being cut as occasion requires). Fallings 

 Barn (Mr. Askew' s, a former master of the Northum- 

 berland and Berwickshire, and who provides an un- 

 failing gorse near by), Milfield (Mr. Grey's) — with its 

 2 H H 



