236 FIELD AND FERN. 



and took care that the bearer of it should be a good 

 one. Still, if there are now no long-tails, '^The Ark" is 

 rich in liver-and-white pointers, with beautiful heads, 

 and a ^^Gordon setter'^ shared the yard with a blue- 

 mottled '^Culley,'' or a "Belton Blue/' Tame 

 wild -ducks are tenants in common of the pond with 

 Aylesburys and Rouens; Lauderdale and speckled 

 Dorkings seemed to start from every laurel bush at 

 their master's tread, but the pheasant sort had nearly 

 died out from the lack of a suitable cross, which Mr. 

 Milne cannot find. As for the Russian dog with 

 a three years' clip on him, we shunned, and with 

 good reason, him and his hole in the wall, and then 

 set the mare's head westward by Peebles, Biggar, 

 and Douglas for Ayr. 



There was no help for us by rail, even if we had 

 desired it, as the line only runs to Selkirk. In one 

 respect it is unique as far as it goes. A woman was 

 waving the safety-flag at Galashiels, and at Abbots - 

 ford a woman was station -mistress, and, as a pas- 

 senger observed, ^^ ringing her bell like anything." 



We halted for an hour at " Sweet Bowhill," which 

 was now under the influence of a nipping frost, to 

 see Mr. Grant's picture of Williamson on Sam Slick, 

 with Hannibal, Falstaff*, Dainty and Destiny round him. 

 A beautiful likeness it is of a loyal, old family ser- 

 vant, who is painted, by his special desire, raising his 

 cap for a covert-side salute to his master. He also 

 figures on a grey in a fast thing, from the same hand, 

 in which Sir David Baird, Mr. Campbell of Saddell, 



