THE GKOUSE. 131 



where there is so Httle seen to keep up the 

 excitement. 



There are no class of men whose opinions 

 we find it so hard to understand as those who 

 are fond of writing to the papers condemn- 

 ing as ' cruel ' all who make large bags of 

 game. That men should object to find plea- 

 sure in a pursuit which entails the shedding of 

 blood we can quite understand ; but these gen- 

 tlemen all boast that they are sportsmen them- 

 selves, only of the good old manly school they 

 think. They never hire a moor, partly because 

 they object to pay the rent. They consider 

 keepers useless and still more cruel than their 

 employers. We will follow for one day two 

 of these gentlemen who are making an orni- 

 thological and sporting tour in August. They 

 have a useful dog with them who never goes 

 fast enough to tire himself, so he gets through 

 a good many hours after a fashion. They 

 easily get leave to have a day's shooting on 

 one of the large islands in the Hebrides, as the 



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