14 SHORTHORNS 



head at the Crieff Games and Cattle Shows. In his 

 favourite after - lunch pose, leaning forward on his 

 hazel crook, just at the edge of events, he was a 

 quietly happy stalwart. The double - peaked cap, 

 tawny moustache, briar pipe, shooting-jacket, kilt, 

 plain sporran, and tanned knees, marked the Major. 

 The briar kept going with easy assiduity, while true 

 comradeship oozed from every pore of the strong 

 man's being. At times he could be fine company 

 for himself, but more generally he was in a deeply 

 friendly trio or quartette " Aye a gentleman " was 

 the rural summing-up on him. 



Some men are remembered through a form of ac- 

 cident. Mr William Harris, Tirinie, Aberfeldy, is 

 one of those men. Mr Harris was a timber merchant 

 and holder for a good many years of busy saw-mills 

 at Blair- Atholl. A very enterprising man, of smart 

 business turn, he had remunerative contracts with 

 the Highland Railway in the early sixties ; and it 

 might have been better for him had he held away 

 from farming. Anyhow, he took a lease of Tirinie 

 about 1865, and sold off his small herd of Shorthorns 

 in 1879, before his outgoing. His females were de- 

 scended from the cows Mignonette and Snowberry, 

 which he had bought at the Inchbroom dispersion, 

 Morayshire, in 1868, at 44 and 35 guineas respec- 

 tively. 



Torenia, a massive roan yearling, grand-daughter 

 of Mignonette, was acquired by Mr Alexander 

 Robertson, Ballechin, at Mr Harris's sale. She 

 cost only 25 gs., but she proved one of the grandest 



