SPOET OF BUTE. 145 



dogs free than they found grouse. Another and 

 another point in quick succession, while the 

 game, in threes, pairs, or single birds, rose at my 

 feet. In place of two lost hours they were equal 

 to any four of the rest of the day for regular and 

 deadly chances. It was only the same over again 

 in Bute, and my brow range of Clochnabae hill 

 added three brace to the bag. 



An old gamekeeper used to say at starting, 

 " I'll try for so many brace, but dinna expec' 

 aboon the half o't." I had set my bag at twenty 

 brace, but did not " expec' aboon" fifteen. It was 

 past four when we crossed the valley of Glen- 

 more, and scaled the evening hill, so to make 

 eight brace on Bute moors in the few hours now 

 at our service would tolerate few misses. Even 

 of this short time more than an hour elapsed be- 

 fore we got among the packs ; but when we did, the 

 dropper behaved splendidly. Finding at long dis- 

 tance, and never making a false point, she gave 

 us every opportunity to break the game on the 

 very heights we had selected. The scent had 

 been good all day, and at length the birds began 

 to sit pretty well too. They were found by the 

 K 



