50 The Lanarkshire and Renfrezvshire Hunt. 



period intimately associated with the doings of this pack. As Mr. George 

 Coats, he not only enjoyed a good run but always took a keen interest in 

 houndwork, and was a splendid example of the thorough hunting gentleman 

 who would scorn the idea of putting the horse before the hound. We 

 have seen some amusing and cleverly executed caricatures from his pencil, 

 and I was much indebted to him for " Possession is nine points of the law " 

 and " Catching a fox in the River Gryffe," which were reproduced in my 

 previous book concerning this Hunt. The present Lord Glentanar is also 

 showing much promise as a sportsman, and whenever he is in the district 

 he misses no opportunity of being out with this pack. 



I now come to what may be regarded as the final chapter so far as this 

 book is concerned. Season 1 920-1 921 was inaugurated with a return visit 

 to Houston House on 6th November, when Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Hagart 

 Speirs welcomed a very numerous company. It was a very bad scenting 

 day throughout, and although foxes were fairly plentiful sport was tame. 

 On the following Tuesday they were at Duchal, and a dense mist permeated 

 the atmosphere. Hounds forced a fox away by Duchal High Wood and 

 went on by Branchal, the field being with them up to this point, after which 

 some very bad going was encountered, and what really happened was a bit 

 of a mystery. Six couples of the hounds hunted what was presumed to 

 be the original fox over a wide tract of country to Glentyan, where they 

 were recovered and taken back to kennels by some members of the field 

 who had found their way thither. Jacklin succeeded in getting the other 

 portion of the pack together on the hills, and went back through Duchal, 

 but no further good was done. Dunlop House, on the extreme edge of 

 that portion of Ayrshire territory now hunted, was the venue on 16th 

 November, but owing to poor lying for foxes there is very little chance of 

 finding in the woodlands surrounding the residence of Colonel and Mrs. 

 Houison Craufurd. In the afternoon a nice hunt was had from Caldwell 

 policies by Caldwell Law and Threepgrass over Fereneze Muir, but cold 

 storms came on and retarded further progress. 



We had a real November fog at Auchengrange on the 27th, and it was 

 simply impossible to hunt around here, but the desire for sport is so strong 

 nowadays that the Master, who was always ready to take advantage of any 

 sort of opportunity, decided to adjourn to the Houston side in the hope of 

 finding better conditions. When they reached Scart it was comparatively 



