The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Hunt. 29 



nearly to Barochan, but veered to the right by Corslie Hill House and 

 continued by Wallees, Botherickfield, and Ennelly to Wraes, the kill being 

 finally effected in Massington— a really fine hunt. 



Hawkhead was generally a happy hunting ground for cubbing opera- 

 tions, and I have seen a lot of exciting sport within the policies during the 

 time the late Mr. W. Stevenson resided here. At the end of one day a 

 very funny thing happened. The hounds badly wanted blood — -in the 

 opinion of the huntsman, at anyrate— and the only fox found went up the 

 sluice pipe at the dam. Fortunately a man with a turnkey was available, 

 and as the water was being turned on the huntsman saw to it that the hounds 

 were at the business end of the pipe. In a few moments the rush of water 

 shot out the fox, as though from a pop gun, into the mouths of eager enemies. 

 The hounds provided a very good hunt from Hawkhead on 3rd March, 

 forcing a fox away by the asylum grounds where he had to be ejected, and 

 then had a good turn round the country ere again reaching Mr. Stevenson's 

 demesne, to kill just in front of the mansion. On a subsequent occasion 

 there was some excitement at the end of a woodland hunt here, the fox 

 being killed in the room used for heating purposes below the house, and 

 I remember seeing the hounds when they collared their fox carrying a 

 barrowful of ashes about on their backs in their eagerness to devour him. 

 It should be explained that the sly one had been hiding under the barrow. 

 The end of this hunting season came with a meet at Erskine on 21st March, 

 but the sport of the last few days of a very successful campaign was rather 

 tame owing to poor scenting conditions. 



Season 1908- 1909 had an appropriate send-off with the usual meet at 

 Houston on 7th November. The first draw at Cleaves furnished an enjoy- 

 able hunt to Barochan Moss, up through North Brae to Corslie Hill, but 

 a much better spin was subsequently had from Elphinstone. They ran 

 over Mid Glen to Knockmountain, killing their fox in the stackyard of 

 Knockmountain Farm. 



They met at Ingliston, the residence of that fine old sportsman, Mr. 

 David Cross, on 14th November, and finding a good fox in the adjacent 

 Glenshinnoch Gorse, a lot of fun was soon witnessed through the efforts 

 of some riders to get over Dargavil Burn, which was running pretty high 

 at the time — some also found it rather deep. Hounds ran through 

 Barochan Moss to Houston Wood, and going on again passed through 



