236 THE COMMON DOTTEREL. 



The birds had shifted, and the old sub began to 

 look unhappy ; not a trace of them where he had 

 noted two small flocks on the llth, and we had 

 looked all the ground strictly. The day must 

 certainly prove a failure unless the far scout was 

 successful. We made for his heights, and saw 

 him watching our approach. A wave of his arm 

 prepared us for the good news that he had spied 

 a flock of twelve, and hoped they were safe in the 

 adjoining fallows. Again we were foiled by the 

 restlessness of our quarry ; for in place of alight- 

 ing where the man supposed, the birds had flown 

 southwards, as a dyke-mason informed us, and 

 passed him within throw of his trowel. 



The march we then continued to the extremity 

 of our beat, but no appearance of the flock, when 

 the keeper suggested, as a forlorn hope, that we 

 should re-search the field where his assistant had 

 seen the twelve so lately. An old man was put- 

 ting up a gate in one of these fields. " Perhaps 

 he may help us, like the mason," I suggested. 

 " Oh ! sir, he's frae the Hielants ; he'll no ken 

 them." " Donal, hae ye seen thae birds that 

 flee a' thegither ? " " There micht be plenty 



