A MONTH AT STRATHMAACOE 223 



feet, I stole home unseen, crept to my room, and sent for 

 you." 



" Well, Lewes, you are indeed a good plucked one," we both 

 exclaimed in the same breath, and then, seeing that the long 

 talk had tired him, we left him to rest. 



Good nursing by kind friends soon put Lewes on his legs 

 again, and it can be stated here that in the following year he 

 was shooting once more at Strathmaacoe, while his friends 

 vowed he did better with one arm than with two ; with extra- 

 ordinary readiness also he learned "to do for" himself without 

 his left hand, and apparently but one matter only caused him 

 vexation or regret, and that was his inability to fashion his 

 white dinner tie into a bow. 



1 2th and 13th, Saturday and Sunday. — We rested both 

 these days, and looked after our invalid. 



14th, Monday. — Patcham and I went to the forest for the 

 day. We both made handsome misses, so came back very 

 grumpy. 



On our way out to the forest as we neared the wire fence 

 which divided it from the sheep ground, a turn of the road 

 disclosed to view a small crowd of people who had evidently 

 alighted from two good-sized brakes drawn up hard by. We 

 at first took them for tourists, although we speculated what 

 could have induced such an early picnic. As we drove up we 

 saw the party had raised a white post, and as they gathered 

 round, it required no second glance to tell us what this upright 

 was, for at right angles from it there projected a long white 

 arm, on which was painted in large black letters, " Public Road 

 to Kirknell." Some of the party were busily employed in 

 planting this firmly in the earth, whilst others indulged in much 

 laughter with many jokes. 



Promptly recognising that we were in the presence of 

 a group of right-of-way maintenance gentry, we left our 

 "machine" to join the party, who watched our approach 

 with countenances expressive of mirth mingled with fear, 



