106 FIELD AND FERN. 



of colliers on the strike), and away by Camp Meg's 

 cottage. 



The Mid-Lotliian Club, which was quite an upper- 

 house among Scottish coursing clubs, held its meet- 

 ings here. No betting was allowed, under divers 

 pains and penalties. Every member who purposed 

 attending sent his own dish to the ordinary at the 

 Cross Keys. The Duke of Buccleuch furnished 

 venison, Sir Graham Montgomery a haunch of black- 

 face. Major Hamilton Dundas black puddings 

 and haggis, Mr. Sharpe ducks of eight or nine 

 pounds weight, Lord Melville pork, Mr. Cal- 

 lender beef, Mr. George Wauchope perigord pie, and 

 so on ; so that it was no Barmecide business. 

 In fact, many of the members kept no dogs, never saw 

 a course, and only appeared at dinner-time. The 

 meeting came off, frost permitting, on the first Tues- 

 day and Wednesday in November, and again in 

 February; and Mr. Nightingale judged at twenty- 

 nine in succession. He was so fond of the place 

 that even w^hen the meeting clashed with the 

 Waterloo he gave it the preference. Of course, 

 the Waterloo card came down, and the Chief 

 Justice was requested to advise upon it. He ran 

 it over, and gave, we believe, the result of all the first 

 courses correctly, save that between the brother and 

 sister. War Eagle and Wicked Eye, on which he would 

 not hazard a guess. His summing-up was still more 

 remarkable. " The ground should suit Cerito and 

 Neville best'^ ; and they were the winner and the 



