PERTH TO KEIR. 317 



when he was judging with Professor Dick, whose 

 lament over his not being in the sire list was at once 

 pathetic and incisive. Star is still more to our mind, 

 with his grand quarters and jet-black legs, and he 

 won in a great ring at Ayr. His Platonic mate is 

 the buxom Lily, beautifully turned, but still not 

 quite so orthodox in her shapes, and with a rich 

 ruby-coloured coat that rhymes but ill with the 

 mealy bay of Jess, which has, however, not kept her 

 back from honours. Sally and Bet were in the boxes, 

 and scarcely do any work now ; but Mally, a bright 

 bay with white hind-legs, is in her prime, and with 

 few to match her for style. She pursues her way 

 with Katey since Bessy was sold into an Edinburgh 

 lorry; Duchess and Polly are closely akin to Black- 

 leg, once quite a terror to the show-yards ; and a 

 little pair, Nance and Bell, cast in their lot together. 

 They have always a pail of " bait" or rather turnips 

 (green-tops in autumn, and swedes in spring), chaff, 

 and a little barley, all boiled together when they 

 come in about four, and at eight each night the 

 watchman gives them a few raw turnips, to amuse 

 themselves with and gather sleekness withal. 



There was good stock at Keir in the time of James 

 Stirling, the late laird and uncle to the present. He 

 had a catholic feeling for every kind of animal, but 

 more especially for shorthorns and greyhounds ; and 

 no one fed West Highlanders to higher Christmas 

 weights. He brought " the Durhams" into Perth- 

 shire, and stood by them manfully, when the High- 



