56 riELD AND lERN. 



Now there is no cub-hunting, except they have 

 a turn or two at the Corstorphine Hills, which 

 are all rocks and braes and brambles. They gene- 

 rally began there, and the gardeners and keepers 

 light fires and net the rocks in some places, and 

 even then the foxes will not be forced away, but 

 make wild dashes at the nets. There are generally 

 a litter or two in the rocks, but cubs are very seldom 

 found in the country, and on the south side the chief 

 dependence is on hill foxes. Macbie Hill is a great 

 rendezvous for old Peebleshire foxes, which go back 

 at the lambing time, and generally faster than they 

 come. Morton covert is a capital cover, about three 

 miles from Midcalder, and gives many a fine run 

 over the Cairn Hill. It is almost always a sure find, 

 and the fox is as surely a stout one. There is another 

 famous whin half-way between Uphall and Mid- 

 calder, whose owner, Mr. Peter M^Clagan, is a most 

 staunch game-preserver. Houston Gorse was also a 

 favourite find in the late Mr. Ramsay^s time, but 

 now, alas ! it is almost a desert. 



There are miles of moss both about Cairn Hill and 

 in the Carnwath. country, and a huntsman has to ''pick 

 and creep and screw" to keep near his hounds at all, 

 and even when Stracey is on North Briton he is often 

 in sad tribulation. In fact, it is a regular choker 

 over such country, and the hounds do it pretty much 

 by themselves. As Stracey graphically puts it, "ihey 

 have a turn at the Pentland Hills from Malleny, and 

 face the hills np wind a mile as hard as they can 



