124 FIELD AND FERN. 



Mason. His most noted feat was coming direct 

 North when wheat had risen 8s. in London, getting 

 oiF the mail at Belford, where the bags were shifted 

 and sent on in a mail gig, beating the post by two 

 hours into Edinburgh, and buying very largely for 

 the rise. His last speculation was to bring a ship 

 •load of cattle from Shetland ; but it sunk, with him- 

 self and all hands on board. Every trace of the 

 primitive steading at Phantassie has disappeared, but 

 the shorthorn spirit still thrives at Whittingham^ 

 since Mr. Charles Smith came there in 1852 from 

 Hill Head, and Prince Loth and Great Seal have 

 been the leading evidences. 



The King Loth of antiquity lived near North 

 Berwick, and had a daughter who " made sheep^s 

 €yes" at a swineherd. Any little parental obstacle to 

 OurtVs happiness, on the score of blood or settlements, 

 was promptly overcome by his shooting the King in a 

 morass. The Dryasdusts cannot tell whether he 

 married the daughter, but they dug like ghouls for a 

 fortnight at the edge of the Whittingham property, 

 in the hope of discovering the royal sepulchre, and 

 didn^t. A live bull proved better than a dead king to 

 Mr. Balfour, who did not care for the bones, but sold 

 his King Loth to New Zealand. Great Seal went to 

 a Sunderland butcher when his show days (during 

 which he beat Forth at Perth) were over, and his 

 216 stone of 141bs. nearly rivalled the weight of the 

 Durham ox. One of the family. Lady Seal, was left, 

 and The Belle tribe, as well as the Lady tribe, were 



