262 FIELD AND FERN. 



Calabaroono when he did go. Abergele is quite out 

 of favour with both master and man, and the latter 

 observed that '^ its stubble and grass are as hard a& 

 the frost is now." Since he won the two best stakes at 

 the Scottish National with Canaradzo and Cazzarina_y 

 in their first season, Jock has had a leaning towards 

 Biggar, but regrets its relentless hills. He likes 

 Southport quite as well as " that level mossy kind of 

 spot," Lytham, which is ^^ too heavj^ ground for 

 Ciiardona." He thinks it has far better hares than 

 Altcar, but against the sloping sides of its ditches he 

 decidedly ^jrotests. As for Sudbury, " it is all grass 

 — sort of meadow — well enough ; but I don^t like 

 them big hedges, theyVe no fit to loup, and its hard 

 to get through ^em." 



Such were the preliminary commentaries of little 

 '^ Jock o'Dalgig," as we sat with him and Mr. Camp- 

 bell in the bothy, which is turned into a kennel. A 

 splendid fire blazed there night and day ; and if we 

 looked in at the window when Jock was off with the 

 key, we might occasionally see the whole clan of 

 Scotland Yet sitting or lying gravely round it, and 

 holding a far more peaceful communion than any 

 common council, London or provincial. The bis- 

 cuits were in a rack above their heads, the muzzles 

 and brushes formed a bristling array, and the 

 "canopy" idea "wa'. carried out by the graceful tres- 

 ses of the sheets. The bitch of that ilk was at Mr- 

 Campbell junior's house, about a mile distant at 

 Craigman, with two other matrons. Miss Julia by 



