The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Hunt. 41 



Cumpstone was succeeded as huntsman by Will Hewitt, who had for 

 a long time acted as first whip with Lord Eglinton's hounds. Just 

 previous to this season a violent storm had swept the landscape, levelling 

 trees in their thousands to the ground, so that rides in coverts and wood- 

 lands were so badly blocked by fallen timber as to make it almost impossible 

 for anyone to pass through on horseback. Hewitt therefore had a most 

 difficult task to hunt the hounds successfully. The season opened on 2nd 

 November at Houston with a moderate day's sport, and the first good run 

 that came was on the 12th, after a meet at Glanderston. They killed one 

 here following a brief spin from Neilston Pad, and another was accounted for 

 in Cowden Hall coverts. Caldwell Law was then tried, and the expected 

 afternoon gallop came off. Running over the hill to the left of Finnie 

 Brae hounds went on past Hall of Caldwell, over Shutterflet Muir by Cuff- 

 hill to Trearne. From here they continued towards Barrmill and back, 

 nearly to Caldwell policies, where they were stopped owing to darkness 

 at the end of a good sporting hunt. 



It is interesting to note that as recent as 1912 there were a lot of foxes 

 still in Hawkhead, for in the course of a day's hunting on 12th December 

 hounds found at least two brace in these woodlands. It was asserted at 

 the time that one of these was as nearly black as possible, and although I 

 never happened to see him, I think the accuracy of the statement can be 

 accepted. Hounds killed one near the asylum at the end of some lively 

 work in the coverts. There was much wild and stormy weather in the 

 course of this month, and the sport was of little consequence, while during 

 January there was little if any improvement, for we also had frost which 

 caused several stoppages. The best day's sport during February was 

 provided on the 8th of that month after a meet at Fulwood. They did 

 not find until reaching Low Barlogan, and a nice gallop ensued from here 

 by High Barlogan and Elphinstone, through Wraes to Botherickfield. It 

 was very fast from here by Scart back to High Barlogan, after which scent 

 failed, and this fox was left with the victory. 



On nth March we had a rather nice illustration of patience being a 

 virtue that is sometimes rewarded. The meet was at Darnley Toll, and 

 at the outset it was just a spell of such wretched luck that nearly everybody 

 got tired of it and went home. There was a continuous sequence of blank 

 draws until a country where foxes live and thrive was reached. Then the 



