CANxVOBIE TO KENSINGTON. 399 



"^the Master of the Queen's Buckhounds asked if 

 they could get him any of the sort.-'' 



About the close of Mr. Salkehrs season (1847-48), 

 the Dumfries men got so Aveary of their winter idle- 

 ness, and missed the good old days of Mr. Murray so 

 sorely, that they begged the loan of the hounds for a 

 week. Accordingly Joe came over, and had three 

 capital days, and finished up with a clinker to Castle 

 Milk. The fox, the hounds, and three of the hardest 

 riders were all in the river together below Rockhall ; 

 but they unfortunately changed in the whins, and 

 the rear men met the run fox stealing back. There 

 was of course a great dinner that night at Lockerby 

 to wind up the week, and in his speech after dinner 

 Joe proposed to devote himself and his sixteen couple 

 to the country two days a week at £240 for the first 

 year. His visit had lessened the foxes by a brace. 

 A third of the few which were in the country were 

 at Kinmount, and Mr. Johnstone"^ and some of the 

 Jardines were still in India and China. Matters 

 progressed very well, although the Blue Bell Yard at 

 Lockerby was the most primitive of kennels ; but the 

 Marquis of Queensberry took the command next 

 season, the subscriptions w^ere doubled, kennels 

 were built at Seafield, and the hunting was increased 

 to five days a fortnight. 



Besides the covers we have mentioned, they some- 

 times go to Waterhead, an outside cover on the 



* The late Mr. Andrew Johnstone's first blood, mares are not stated cor- 

 rectly at page 351. For " Theresa by Wag-tail" read "Theresa Panza by 

 Cervantes, Wagtail by Whisker," and add " Royalty by Enulius," 



