158 WITH XATUriE AXD A OAMEBA. 



suriuoiintod the obstiiclo, when he tenclorly conveys 

 her to the fjrouncl. 



She is quite conscious of tlie great esteem in 

 whicli she is lield, and imposes npon her good- 

 natured owner accordinglv. When the time came 

 for lier to have her portrait taken ahjng with her 

 master and their day's bag, she obstinately refused 

 to sit until a piece of warm dry carpet had been 

 provided for her especial acconnnodation and com- 

 fort. The old man explained her conduct just as 

 if lie had been talking about his Avife. She had 

 been suddenly woke up from a sound sleep, and 

 was indulging in a bit of temper on accoimt of 

 not being allowed to finish her nap. 



The lessee of tlie surrounding moor has tried 

 many more or less ingenious devices to sj)oil the 

 old fellow's sport and reduce his plunder, but with 

 little success. A brace of tethered Falcons, so placed 

 as to scare the Grouse away from liis bit of freehold, 

 came witliin legal reacli of his gun and perished; 

 a number of Hags erected all round mysteriously 

 disa})peared one dark night ; and a wooden hut, 

 built for the acconnnodation of a couple of watcliers, 

 accidentally caught fire whilst its occupiers were 

 sup])ing of sociability at some farm-liouse in tlie 

 valley below, 



(Jf course, it is not illegal to snare or net Grouse, 

 however unsportsmanlike it may be considered, pro- 

 vided the man who does so is upon land where he 

 has the necessai-y right to do so, and is arnuMl with 

 a licence to kill game ; but he must take all liis 

 snares up on Saturday night, as the law resents 

 the Sabljath being broken by profane bits of wire 

 hanging about like round O's amongst the hcatlicr. 

 Our old friend was caught na})ping in this dircrtioii 

 last veiir, and was lined for his wickcMlness. 



