U ECHOES OF SPORT 



of sunshine or threat of rain and mist. The 

 balance was so even, it might have turned 

 either way. The beaters numbered nine : 

 three keepers, two shepherds, three under- 

 lings of sorts, and a forester. The number of 

 guns three My Lord, My Lady, and my- 

 self. My Lady had not fired a shot-gun for 

 nigh on twenty years ; I had certainly not 

 done so at a live object for five or six, except 

 for a few shots at clay pigeons which I never 

 hit. We both used the rifle often and to the 

 point, but that was a different matter. To- 

 day we each had twenty-bore double-barrelled 

 guns, ample ammunition, and plenty courage 

 and ambition. My Lord, being one of the 

 best sportsmen in the British Islands, and 

 owning more square miles of grouse moor and 

 deer forest than most people own acres, need 

 not have his shooting powers here described. 

 Three collie dogs completed the party. 



The place for the actual drive was high up 

 on the open moor, or forest, beyond the big 

 woods overlooking the house. Slowly we 

 went up, leaving the green low ground soon 



