204 FIELD AND FERN. 



cocks of the district were wont to meet and feast 

 each Martinmas tide. 



The Wisp Club, as it was called, began in 1826, 

 but it was given up about the time of Gowanlock's 

 death, as Mr. Aitchison and one or two others had 

 outlived nearly every one of those jovial comrades, 

 who discussed punch after dinner, and settled, after 

 many an animated debate and division, the average 

 prices of cattle and sheep stock, white and '^tarry ^oo." 

 In its earlier days, when newspaper information on 

 these heads was so ill marshalled, the list of prices, 

 which was regularly registered in the Club books, 

 had an especial value, and they were often referred 

 to both by landlords and tenants, when a lease was 

 to be renewed. No paper reported its proceed- 

 ings till the late James Steel, whose statue stands in 

 the Carlisle market-place, came over with twa 

 friends, and took one of his terse and pithy reports 

 home for the Journal. 



Gowanlock was the treasurer, and always returned 

 thanks at these Club festivals, as we read in a record 

 quite yellowed by time, 'Svith his usual simplicity and 

 readiness of manner." Scott of Priesthaugh was one 

 of its choicest characters. If he wanted anything 

 down to a horse to ride to Stagshaw Bank Fair, it 

 was " only for a minute." He was also a good man 

 with hounds, and the best jumper of the lot. When 

 he was regularly put up, he had jumped twenty-four 

 feet at one bound on the haugh by the side of the 

 Moss Paul Burn. One of the Club was so pleased 



