COLDSTREAM TO HAWICK. 199 



hind everyone, and so we reached the Teviot once 

 more in procession by a four-mile cut, down by the 

 Minto covers. Walter longed to pluck a fox-glove 

 for Sandy^s cap in honour of that celebrated find ; 

 but Sandy was true to his Border love — '' Give me 

 the blooming heather /" Spittal Bank was blank 

 again ; but the drag of our first friend, who had evi- 

 dently revisited the glimpses of the moon, and dwelt 

 quite leisurely on some stones, to eat and digest his 

 trout, was most satisfactory at eleven, and ten 

 minutes of beautiful music closed the day, and 

 atoned for hopes once more deferred and drains 

 blanked on the Ale. 



The Jed remained, and on a cold September eve- 

 ning we stole away fourteen miles with the Doctor 

 among the hills to Mr. Scott's of Merving^s Law, a 

 most hospitable farmer, on its banks. Three miles 

 to our right, and marching with Liddesdale, was 

 Hindley, the " Charlieshope'' of Sir Walter Scott, 

 near which the Bule and the Jed have their rise, but 

 there is not a terrier on the place now. At six next 

 morning we were all up and breakfasting. A lassie, 

 who had known Royal as a pup at walk, was one of 

 the principal features of the meet, with a bit of bread 

 in her pocket for him, and then she revealed a wealth 

 of information about Newcastle -and its otter hounds, 

 which at once charmed and puzzled the Doctor. We 

 did no good dragging up the river, and the loch to 

 which we wandered a full mile in the Sheriff^s 

 grounds was vocal with no challenge. So we turned 



