150 Memoir of Tom Smith, 



age ; but soon again rode up to say, tliat if he 

 persevered, the men would all. go home. '^ I 

 can't help that," was the reply; "we can kill 

 onr fox without you." The Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch, who was the only man that had kept 

 close to the hounds, on hearing the last mess- 

 age, said that he thought at first that the 

 gentleman was coming up to praise the hounds 

 for working so well over the ploughed land, 

 and expressed his hope that Mr. Smith would 

 persevere. He did so; and on reaching Hope's 

 plantation, a few minutes after, the hounds at 

 once hit off the scent. Then they had about 

 twenty-five minutes' racing pace over a fine 

 grass country, and killed an old dog fox. 

 His Grace, who was the only one there beside 

 the Master, got off his horse, and requested to 

 have the brush, although, as he said, it was 

 the first that he ever took home in his life. 

 He also said that that was the best day's 

 sport he had ever seen, and that he would 

 let the malcontents know what they had lost. 



