216 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



found sport on the moors, flushing purple in the 

 slant rays, or shaded in twilight, as pleasant and 

 remunerative as that of breathless noonday. 



His bag might not be large, according to the 

 modern standard ; but his simple creed was, that 

 a few brace, shot over dogs, were better than a 

 cart-load slaughtered by other methods. And, as 

 with an easy conscience, and unimpaired digestion, 

 he sat down, pleasantly tired, at the close of the 

 day, he found, as in the case of all true sport, 

 that the retrospect was still pleasanter than the 

 actual enjoyment. 



The ways of the hills are no longer the same. 

 The love of sport, for its own sake, is fast ceasing 

 to be the motive power. Interest in the birds has 

 only a quantitative significance. 



The introduction of driving into Scotland met 

 with some natural resistance from the natives. In 

 many cases, the poverty, and not the will, may have 

 consented. But the prejudice is not shared by 

 stranger lessees ; who are, after all, those who have 

 to be reckoned with. The unsuitable nature of 

 the ground in many of the smaller moors wilder 

 and more broken than in Yorkshire, the natural 

 home of driving makes shooting over dogs less 

 a matter of choice than necessity. But, wherever 



